Hockey

The Professional Women’s Hockey League on Tuesday announced the hiring of AHL executive Melissa Caruso to take over as general manager of its Minnesota franchise and shore up a team that dealt with several crises in the weeks after winning the league’s inaugural championship.

Caruso replaces former U.S. Olympian Natalie Darwitz, who was removed by the league in June following a monthslong review and mere weeks after Minnesota clinched the Walter Cup in a decisive fifth game. Hefford did not reveal the findings of the league’s review, which included input from players, staff and team partners, in saying the feedback was clear a change was required.

The troubles in Minnesota didn’t end there and with coach Ken Klee overseeing personnel decisions and the draft on an interim basis.

At the draft on June 10, Klee was questioned for using a second-round pick to select Britta Curl, who had drawn criticism from the women’s hockey and LGBTQ+ communities for supporting transphobic messaging on social media. Klee defended the decision to select the two-year Wisconsin captain by saying he spoke to numerous coaches and players who knew Curl.