PWHL Minnesota is back in the news, but not for the good reasons. Head coach Ken Klee is under fire after replacing their general manager months ago because a former employee has come out and claimed there was a “toxic and unprofessional work environment” at the team.
The employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Hockey News about their incident, which was first published by the publication.
Because they are close to Ken (Klee) and have access to his ear, the “lower end girls” were complaining that they are being bullied by the veterans and the leadership group. “Ken was telling players not to go out on the ice because they were depriving the important players of playing time.”
Just before the season began, Klee was named head coach of PWHL Minnesota. In the 1990s and 2000s, he was a defenseman in the NHL, appearing for multiple clubs. Most notably, Klee spent nine seasons as a player with the Washington Capitals before being traded to Toronto. Following his retirement, he took up coaching, serving as the U.S. Women’s team’s bench boss at the Four Nations Cup in 2015 and 2016.
A week prior to the opening game, Charlie Burggraf, the head coach of Minnesota at the time, announced his resignation. After getting the call, Klee left right away for the North Star State.
During his initial interview for the job, Klee desired to be the general manager in addition to the head coach. After Burggraf left, Klee took over and collaborated with Natalie Darwitz, who was the general manager at the time. News broke that Klee and captain Kendall Coyne-Schofield spearheaded the effort to get Darwitz fired in June, citing a “clash” between the two.
The contrast between Charlie’s release and Ken’s arrival was striking. conceited, smugRegarding Klee and Darwitz’s connection, a former staff member told The Hockey News, “It became a very toxic environment; there started to be a divide from that day forward; divide in the staff, divide in the players.” “There were moments when it was evident that Ken and Natalie went above and beyond to avoid encountering each other.”
These unnamed employees of Minnesota have nothing but positive things to say about Darwitz. It was demonstrated by the PWHL assessment that not all club members had those opinions.
Following the initial disclosure, several individuals opened up about their experiences. They asserted that Klee had spoken with them using the r-word. He made remarks about a player on the opposing team’s race while watching a movie, referring to a younger player who went by the moniker “Dumbo.”
Furthermore, this past week, Klee informed a few Darwitz-hired staff members that they would not be rejoining the team for the upcoming season.
One person remarked, “I have never seen something so toxic and handled so unprofessionally.”
As per the PWHL’s statement, they are looking into these claims and will take appropriate action based on the results. The following is their whole statement that The Hockey News was given:
“The PWHL is dedicated to creating an inclusive, courteous, and misbehavior-free work culture and environment. Personnel have been evaluated since the league’s founding using a variety of methods, such as internal assessments, anonymous tip lines, and expert reviews from outside sources. We have the greatest expectations of ourselves. We take all reports seriously and will keep looking into them, evaluating them, and taking appropriate action in light of our conclusions.
How might the League’s future pan out?
The PWHL’s investigation into these claims raises more questions about a bigger problem that affects women’s professional sports. Athletes are no longer secure in some circumstances because people in positions of power are abusing their influence.
The Sally Yates report from the NWSL in 2022 is one such instance. The investigation looked into claims made by former NWSL managers of emotional and sexual abuse. It highlights the shortcomings of the league, clubs, and U.S. Soccer as a whole in attempting to lessen and end the abuse.
Even while the abuse may not be as severe or high as what the coaching staff, front office, or players in the PWHL Minnesota are experiencing, the league still has an obligation to ensure that things don’t grow any worse. The accusations must be carefully considered and looked into.
On the other hand, the league can uncover some damaging information during its inquiry and take the required action to make amends. That would guarantee that the behavior wouldn’t happen again.
In any case, this is a pivotal point in the PWHL’s history, and the way the league handles it now will determine how it does things moving forward.
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