The newly established Professional Women’s Hockey League has its first teaching change earlier than its first sport, with former NHL defenseman Ken Klee taking on in Minnesota after Charlie Burggraf stepped down on Wednesday.
Burggraf didn’t go into element on his departure, saying solely that he consulted along with his household whereas reaching the choice to step away from teaching and wishing the crew success. Minnesota, which encompasses a lineup of quite a few home-state gamers, opens its season on Jan. 3 at Boston, adopted by its home-opener towards Montreal three days later.
The 52-year-old Klee, who spent 9 of his 14 NHL seasons with the Washington Capitals, has loads of teaching expertise since ending his professional profession with Phoenix in 2009. He coached the U.S. girls’s nationwide crew to world championship titles in 2015 and ’16, and in addition was an assistant coach with AHL Syracuse.
“The hockey energy in Minnesota is just fantastic, and I’m delighted to be part of it,” mentioned Klee, who’s from Indianapolis. “I can’t wait to get started.”
The 66-year-old Burggraf made the bounce to the PWHL in September after spending 16 seasons teaching the ladies’s after which males’s applications at Minnesota’s Bethel University. He was reunited with Minnesota GM Natalie Darwitz, whom he coached whereas an assistant on the University of Minnesota.
