PWHL confirms Natalie Darwitz is out as Minnesota GM: ‘There wasn’t a path forward’
June 8, 2024
PWHL confirms Natalie Darwitz is out as Minnesota GM: ‘There wasn’t a path forward’
4 comments
> Hefford said the league has conducted reviews in all six league markets throughout the season to ensure a level of professionalism. She would not go into specifics of the reviews or what was uncovered in Minnesota, beyond “that a change needed to be made.”
> No players reached by The Athletic on Friday were willing to comment on the record about the situation. One player, on the condition of anonymity, called Darwitz an “incredible support system” over the course of a “really tough” season. “She was a terrific advocate, fantastic voice of reason and fair boss,” the player said. “I’m incredibly shocked she’s leaving because frankly, I can’t imagine anyone else filling her shoes.”
For a brand new league, the lack of transparency is astounding.
I’m slightly OOTL on the exit of the original coach Burggraf – what happened there (that was Darwitz’s pick to coach, correct?)
It feels like the league is picking Klee over Darwitz in whatever issue (personnel choices, personality, whatever) there is
In all my years spent as a working professional, it isn’t that far-fetched to see someone dismissed despite them producing results. I’ve worked with enough people who were absolute goofballs to deal with, but they get enough things done to not get fired. I’ve also worked with enough super kind, cool, easygoing people then find out that they got fired because they cut corners, botched paperwork, over-promised on things they didn’t have authority to do so.
This seems to be one of those cases where although the team reached the pinnacle, clearly there was something going on with ownership and her that couldn’t be reconciled. These sort of things don’t normally happen in a situation like this, though.
FFS, someone want to check the water at Tria? Two orgs, with unsettling front office vibes right now.
4 comments
> Hefford said the league has conducted reviews in all six league markets throughout the season to ensure a level of professionalism. She would not go into specifics of the reviews or what was uncovered in Minnesota, beyond “that a change needed to be made.”
> No players reached by The Athletic on Friday were willing to comment on the record about the situation. One player, on the condition of anonymity, called Darwitz an “incredible support system” over the course of a “really tough” season. “She was a terrific advocate, fantastic voice of reason and fair boss,” the player said. “I’m incredibly shocked she’s leaving because frankly, I can’t imagine anyone else filling her shoes.”
For a brand new league, the lack of transparency is astounding.
I’m slightly OOTL on the exit of the original coach Burggraf – what happened there (that was Darwitz’s pick to coach, correct?)
It feels like the league is picking Klee over Darwitz in whatever issue (personnel choices, personality, whatever) there is
In all my years spent as a working professional, it isn’t that far-fetched to see someone dismissed despite them producing results. I’ve worked with enough people who were absolute goofballs to deal with, but they get enough things done to not get fired. I’ve also worked with enough super kind, cool, easygoing people then find out that they got fired because they cut corners, botched paperwork, over-promised on things they didn’t have authority to do so.
This seems to be one of those cases where although the team reached the pinnacle, clearly there was something going on with ownership and her that couldn’t be reconciled. These sort of things don’t normally happen in a situation like this, though.
FFS, someone want to check the water at Tria? Two orgs, with unsettling front office vibes right now.