Natalie Darwitz should be fully on top of the world right now.
And to a large degree she is.
This weekend she will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame alongside hockey greats like herself in Shea Weber, Jeremy Roenick and Pavel Datsyuk, fellow Minnesotan and hockey trailblazer like herself in Krissy Wendell as well as builders and hockey icons like Colin Campbell and David Poile.
It’s far from the first prestigious honour that Darwitz’s ability to put the puck in the net has earned her, but it’s right up there with any of them.
Darwitz was a star wherever she played the game, whether that was on the frozen ponds in her native Minnesota, at the University of Minnesota where she was a two-time NCAA champion or countless rinks around the world as part of the U.S. Women’s National team which began at the now unheard of age of 15.
But the three-time U.S. Olympian and three-time World champion is still coming to terms with the fact that the hockey team she built from scratch and the same team that won the first ever PWHL championship will be heading to training camp next week without her.
Darwitz isn’t at liberty to discuss the details that have removed her from the Minnesota Frost front office. She made that clear as the questions shifted from the honour she is receiving this weekend to the frankly stunning coup that was pulled removing her from the team she put together mere weeks after they celebrated a championship together.
The little that is known and widely believed is Darwitz was pushed out by head coach Ken Klee and a handful of veteran players.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Darwitz said choosing her words very carefully. “Unfortunately I can’t speak a lot about what happened last year as you guys probably have heard a lot, but I think that will probably be something I take to my grave, not knowing exactly what happened.
“But I can go to my grave knowing I felt like we did a good job and did some positive things there.
Coming along at just the right time to take at least a little of that sting away was the call from Mike Gartner and Lanny McDonald at the Hockey Hall of Fame with the induction news.
“It was needed,” Darwitz, 41, admitted. “Even though you look at athletes and people in the front office and you think they have armour on, we’re human beings and that was tough.
“I felt like I did a good job,” Darwitz said. “Did some great things in Minnesota and then that happened. Just to have good news really quickly back. I think the universe works in weird ways and I think that was fitting that I got some great news on the heels of that. It put a smile back on my face and obviously I’m really grateful for the opportunity and to be here.”
Whether there’s a path back to the PWHL or even if she would want one, Darwitz does not say, but she knows she left her mark even in just one year and she’s very proud of that.
Darwitz’s eyes and demeanour lights up at the first mention of her mid-season trade for Sophie Jaques, the Toronto native who was vital in helping the Frost become champions.
Darwitz and her Boston counterpart Danielle Marmer pulled off that first-ever league trade that arguably changed the trajectory of both teams that would wind up playing in the first ever Walter Cup Championship.
Darwitz sent Finnish forward Susanna Tapani and defender Abby Cook to Boston in exchange for the former Patty Kazmaier winner.
“I don’t think we win without Sophie,” Darwitz said. “Obviously we gave up a great player too, but in trades (like that) you need to do that. What Sophie did for our lineup changed our lineup immensely. It gave our goaltenders confidence back there. It gave our forwards confidence that they would have Sophie back there. She just added a whole new flare for us. I appreciate you bringing that up because I think it was a huge turning point in our season.”
Darwitz will not allow what happened to her to spoil her future enjoyment of the PWHL either. The league is too important to her to let that happen.
She’ll serve as an ambassador for the NHL’s Minnesota Wild this season, a post she hints could lead to a bigger role down the road, but for now she’s content to see the PWHL capitalize and grow from what was a very successful first year for all involved.
“I want women’s hockey to succeed,” she said, “just for those little girls. I’m not going to let (anything) sour what is an amazing sport and what should in a decade from now or two decades from now grow even bigger.”
But first there is the rest of this weekend. Darwitz is already in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame, so this type of honour is not new to her, but this one will be special.
“The IIHF was a bit of a bummer because we were in playoffs (when the induction was held) so I wasn’t able to go,” Darwitz said. “Then the US Hockey Hall of Fame was like — I mean it’s cool now because when my boys were there for it, one of them was an infant, I mean in diapers. For them to be here now and have a better understanding of what this is and see this, it’s going to be really special to have my family here and see it all happen.”
And nothing is going to spoil that for Darwitz.