Report: Natalie Darwitz out as PWHL Minnesota GM

A team source confirmed to Daily Faceoff that the PWHL, not Minnesota or Darwitz, made this decision. DFO reached out to league representatives for comment, but no response has been given.

Per the report, Darwitz was told that she would not be back for Season 2 as the team’s GM. The Eagan native was also offered the opportunity to put out a statement saying that she has elected to move on from her post, with her being offered alternative options within the league.

The timing of the removal of Darwitz could not come at a weirder or worse time for the team. Not just because Minnesota won a championship, but also because the team is left scrambling to figure out who will head the team’s strategy heading into the second annual draft. It’s certainly not a good look on the league, since both Monday’s draft and the first-ever PWHL Awards are set to be held in St. Paul.

Darwitz, who was just inducted to the IIHF Hall-of-Fame last month, helped build this Minnesota team from scratch. Hired in September of last year, the three-time IIHF world champion and two-time NCAA national champion decided to leave coaching and take on the task of putting together a winning team in the State of Hockey. She drafted young stars like Taylor Heise, Nicole Hensley, Grace Zumwinkle and Maddie Rooney to join the big signings of Lee Stecklein, Kelly Pannek and captain Kendall Coyne Schofield.

Natalie was also part of history when she helped complete the first trade in PWHL history, sending Susanna Tapani to Boston for Sophie Jaques. The move was beneficial for both sides, as Tapani and Jaques were key contributors to the teams’ path to the Final.

After a hot start to the season, Minnesota cooled off late in the year, ending the regular season on a five-game losing streak, narrowly nabbing the last playoff spot. After losing the first two games of the semifinals to top-seeded Toronto, Minnesota pulled off the reverse sweep, punching their ticket to the Final. That was where they met Boston, another underdog coming off an upset. The two teams went back and forth in a thrilling series, with Minnesota coming out on top in Game 5 to become the first PWHL champions.