Natalie Darwitz

Natalie Rose Darwitz (born October 13, 1983) is an American ice hockey executive, coach, and former player. Her most recent role was general manager of the Minnesota Frost in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). She spent over ten years on the U.S. national team and captained the squad starting in the 2007–08 season. As a player, she won three world championship gold medals, two Olympic silvers, and one Olympic bronze.

Playing

In 2024, she was enshrined in both the Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame. Darwitz learned to skate at age five and attended Eagan High School. She then played ten seasons with the U.S. national team, competing in two Olympics. At the 2002 Games, she led the tournament in goals, and at the 2006 Games, she recorded the game-winning assist in the bronze-medal match.

In three NCAA seasons at the University of Minnesota, she won back-to-back national championships, scored the championship goal in her final game with 1:08 to go versus Harvard (4–3), and was named the Frozen Four’s Most Outstanding Player. She also earned US Women’s Player of the Year honors and played in three additional IIHF Women’s World Championships. At the 2008 World Championship, Darwitz led the tournament in scoring and was named the IIHF’s Best Forward. USA Hockey gave her the Bob Johnson Award as the best U.S. player (male or female) in international competition.

Coaching

At the 2009 IIHF tournament, she was the second-leading scorer with 10 points (three goals, seven assists). After her playing career, Darwitz became an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of Minnesota, in August 2008. She left after the 2008–09 NCAA season to rejoin the U.S. national team full-time. On August 2, 2011, she was named head coach of the Lakeville South High School girls’ team, leading the Cougars to a 21–1–6 record in 2011–12 and a 16–2–9 mark in 2012–13.

From the 2015–16 through 2020–21 seasons, she was head coach of the Hamline University women’s team, which reached the Frozen Four and finished third in the nation in 2017–18. On July 29, 2021, she returned as an assistant coach for the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team. On June 7, 2023, she was named co-head coach of the Hill-Murray women’s hockey team alongside Jake Bobrowski. On September 1, 2023, the PWHL announced Darwitz as general manager of its new Minnesota team.