♪♪♪ >> ERIC: JUST DAYS AFTER PWHL MINNESOTA WON THE FIRST LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP, GENERAL MANAGER NATALIE DARWITZ NO LONGER HOLDS THAT POSITION.

"THE ATHLETIC" BROKE THE STORY ON THURSDAY THAT DARWITZ IS OUT AS G.M.

A LEAGUE SOURCE CONFIRMED WITH THE "STAR TRIBUNE" TODAY THAT A CLASH WITH COACH KEN KLEE WAS THE ISSUE.

KLEE WILL BECOME THE ACTING G.M.

AND MAKE THE TEAM'S PICKS AT MONDAY'S PWHL DRAFT HERE IN ST. PAUL.

RACHEL BLOUNT HAS BEEN COVERING THE TEAM AND THIS STORY FOR THE "STAR TRIBUNE."

YOU CALL THIS A SHOCKER.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

THIS IS NOT THE NEWS I INSPECTED TO HEAR THIS MORNING.

NINE DAYS AFTER THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP, THAT THE G.M.

THAT ASSEMBLED THE TEAM IS NOW OUT.

SO THE REASON.

>> Mary: SO THE REASON.

WAS THERE A BIG BLOW-UP?

WAS IT CONSTANT CONFLICT?

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS ISSUE?

>> LEAGUE SOURCES TOLD US TODAY THAT THERE WAS A PERSONALITY CONFLICT BETWEEN DARWITZ AND KLEE.

DARWITZ DID NOT HIRE KLEE.

HER CHOICE FOR HEAD CHOICE, CHARLIE BERGRAF LEFT THE TEAM SHORTLY BEFORE THE SEASON BEGAN, AND THEN THE LEAGUE THEN PUT KLEE INTO THE HEAD COACHING POSITION.

SO THIS WAS NOT A DARWITZ HIRE.

THIS PERSONALITY CONFLICT APPARENTLY PERSISTED THROUGH THE SEASON.

AND KLEE HAD THE BACKING OF A NUMBER OF KEY PLAYERS ON THE TEAM.

KLEE USED TO COACH THE U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM.

AND SO PLAYERS LIKE KENDALL COYNE-SCHOFIELD, LEE STECK LINE, NICOLE HENSLY.

THOSE ARE WOMEN WHO PLAYED FOR KLEE WITH THE NATIONAL TEAM.

HE HAD THEIR BACKING.

AND THE SPECULATION IS, THAT THE LEAGUE DECIDED THAT THE TWO OF THEM COULD NOT COEXIST.

AND KLEE WON OUT.

>> Mary: DARWITZ IS BELOVED IN MINNESOTA.

MAYBE AMONG THE MOST BELOVED FEMALE HOCKEY PLAYERS N THE HISTORY OF OUR STATE.

HOW IS THIS PLAYING WITH AVERAGE MINNESOTANS, DO YOU THINK?

>> I DON'T THINK THIS WILL PLAY WELL AT ALL.

AND I THINK IT'S A BIT OF A RISKY MOVE FOR THE LEAGUE, BECAUSE DARWITZ WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THIS TEAM INTO XCEL ENERGY CENTER, INTO GETTING IT INTO TRIA REPRESENTATIVE.

SHE'S BEEN A GREAT FUNDRAISER.

HER CONNECTIONS AND HER STATUS IN THE HOCKEY COMMUNITY HERE ARE HUGE AND KEN KLEE IS NOT A MINNESOTAN.

HE IS FROM COLORADO.

SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR HIM TO HAVE THE SAME KIND OF TRACTION.

>> Eric: CAN THERE BE SEXISM IN A WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE?

>> YOU KNOW, ISN'T THAT AN INTERESTING QUESTION?

IT IS A SURPRISE THAT THE MAN WON, IF THERE AS A CONFLICT BETWEEN A MAN AND WOMAN.

AND YET THE AN WAS BACKED BY POWERFUL WOMEN.

BY POWERFUL WOMEN PLAYERS, SO YOU COULD ALSO LOOK AT IT IT THAT WAY THAT WOMEN STILL WERE THE VICTORS IN THE STRUGGLE BUT IT WAS A LAYER REMOVED.

>> Eric: YOU DID A VERY IN-DEPTH TAKEOUT ON NATALIE DARWITZ AND I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE WAS PRETTY MUCH A HARD CHARGER.

>> YES, VERY MUCH SO.

I THINK PROBABLY THE ROOT OF THIS IS PROBABLY TWO STRONG PERSONALITIES AND WE ALL KNOW THAT SOMETIMES TWO STRONG PERSONALITIES DON'T MATCH UP WELL.

>> Mary: OR THEY CREATE A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

>> HOW ABOUT THAT?

ISN'T THAT FANTASTIC.

THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE,, IF YOU REMEMBER, THEY ASKED ME, HOW WAS THE TEAM DOING, AND THEY LOST THAT GAME TWO TO NOTHING.

THEN THEY WON THREE IN A ROW TO MAKE THE FINALS.

THEY WIN IN A FIVE-GAME SERIES AGAINST BOSTON AND THEY'RE THE CHAMPION ALL OF A SUDDEN AFTER HAVING LOST SEVEN GAMES IN A ROW.

THAT ALONE WAS SHOCKING AND NOW TO HAVE THIS TURN F EVENTS IS JUST UNFATHOMABLE.

>> Eric: SO TELL US HOW THIS AFFECTS THE TEAM GOING FORWARD E FORWARD, IF AT ALL.

>> YEAH, WE'LL FIND OUT.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IN THAT LOCKER ROOM WAS ON KEN KLEE'S SIDE.

I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME SPLIT WITH PLAYERS AMONG SOME THAT WERE MORE IN FAVOR OF DARWITZ, SOME THAT WERE MORE IN FAVOR OF KLEE.

AND NOW WE'LL SEE, KEN KLEE WILL BE MAKING THE PICKS IN THE DRAFT ON MONDAY.

SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE.

DARWITZ WAS VERY COMMITTED TO CHOCHOOSING MINNESOTANS AND CHOOSING AMERICAN PLAYERS.

SHE FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR THIS MARKET, THAT THE FANS IN MY MARKET WANT TO SEE MINNESOTANS PLAY.

PERHAPS HE WILL, BUT WE'LL FIND OUT.

>> Mary: WHAT HAPPENS TO DARWITZ WITHIN THE LEAGUE?

IT SOUNDS LIKE SHE WAS OFFERED SOMETHING ELSE.

IS IT POSSIBLE -- >> THAT OFFER WAS TAKEN OFF THE TABLE TODAY.

SO THAT IS NOT PART OF THE PICTURE ANYMORE.

IT'S HARD TO SAY.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN.

CERTAINLY SOMEONE WILL HIRE HER.

SHE WILL NOT GO JOBLESS FOR LONG BECAUSE SHE, AS WE WERE SAYING, SHE'S CERTAINLY WELL CONNECTED.

SHE PROVED HERSELF IN THE ONE YEAR OF THIS PRO TEAM.

THE ROSTER SHE PUT TOGETHER WON THE TITLE.

AND HE MADE A LOT OF VERY CANNY MOVES IN IS A SM BALING THAT ROSTER.

>> Mary: THIS ISN'T LIKE THE NHL.

THERE'S NOT AS MANY OTHER JOBS OUT THERE YET.

>> I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE'S GOING TO ET ANOTHER JOB IN THIS LEAGUE.

SHE HAS TWO YOUNG SONS.

HER FAMILY IS WELL ESTABLISHED HERE.

I DON'T SEE HER MOVING TO A DIFFERENT CITY TO STAY WITHIN THE LEAGUE.

>> Eric: THE PLOT THICKENS.

>>