skip navigation

Q & A with Natalie Darwitz

By Minnesota Hockey, 12/13/16, 4:30PM CST

Share

On Friday, December 16, Minnesota native Natalie Darwitz will be the first female player to ever participate in a Minnesota Wild practice. Darwitz will join the Wild’s team practice on Friday as the official start of the Minnesota Wild’s inaugural Girls Hockey Weekend.

Darwitz was a standout at every level of girls’ and women’s hockey starting at Eagan High School where she racked up 487 points in 102 games and was the youngest player ever selected to a national team at age 15. Darwitz went onto three stellar seasons at the University of Minnesota, highlighted by two NCAA National Championships. At the international level, Darwitz continued to be a star, earning three Olympic medals and many other accolades.

Since 2007-08, Darwitz has also been active in the coaching ranks. She’s spent time behind the bench of Eagan High School, Lakeville South High School, the University of Minnesota and is now the head coach at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minn.

We caught up with Natalie to learn more about her transition into coaching and hear what she was most excited about in the days leading up to skating with her hometown NHL team.  

Minnesota Hockey: How is the season going this year at Hamline?

Natalie Darwitz: It’s going good. We’ve got a young team – 14 new players – so we’re really just trying to create a new identity and a new team culture. We beat St. Thomas last Friday, which I think is the first victory Hamline has had over them in the last nine or ten years so we’re making some good strides in the right direction. Our goal is that we’re creating a championship culture.

MH: What has the transition been like for you, going from playing to coaching?

ND: It’s been a good transition. It hasn’t been an easy one. You kind of give up control sometimes, not being able to go do it yourself like you could as a player, but I love staying involved in the game.

MH: What do you like the most about coaching so far?

ND: I just think it’s all about making an impact, a positive one, a positive influence. Whether it’s seeing a player have it click and their eyes light up or just getting kids out of their comfort zone. Saying, it’s going to be worse, it’s going to be hard, but you’re going to earn it. I would say that’s the most rewarding thing about coaching is just having the opportunity to have a positive impact on their life.

MH: You alluded to the need for good role models. How important do you think it is for more women to join the coaching ranks?

ND: For the growth of our game, I think it’s crucial, I really do. That doesn’t mean you’re giving up hours of your time. Wherever you’re at in life and whatever you can do, if you’re a former player, whether that’s [high school], Division I or III or Olympic, just get on the ice and allow girls to see someone who’s done that. I think girls’ eyes just light up and they think if she can do it, I can have those same exact dreams.

MH: Many girls playing hockey today view you as a role model. Was there anyone you looked up to or still do?

ND: In my young years, I loved Neal Broten. My dad would say we would go to games, and I would just be fixated on him – watch him with the puck, without the puck, whatever he did. As I got older, I really looked up to Mike Crowley. He was the reason I wore number 20.

MH: Is there anyone in particular you’re looking forward to meeting when you skate with the Wild on Friday?

ND: I grew up a little bit playing with Zach Parise, and we crossed paths a little bit at the Olympics. Obviously, he’s a tremendous player and one of the faces of their organization. I love watching the Wild and following their players so it’s just going to be a really fun experience in general. To be able to go out and do a few drills with them, I’m quite blessed and quite thankful to the Wild.

I think they’re innovators in the sport. They want to grow the game, not just their brand, but the overall game. Obviously, that includes the women’s game. I commend them for putting this weekend on. It’s going to be a great thing.

MH: (jokingly) You were a dynamic scorer at all levels of women’s hockey. Any tips you plan to share to help Zach shake his scoring drought?

ND: (laughs) Four years ago, maybe. I don’t know about now.

Editor’s Note: This interview took place before the Minnesota Wild played the Florida Panthers on December 13th, in which Parise scored the game’s first goal.

MN: For those that didn’t get to see you play much, what current or former Wild player do you think plays a style similar to what you did?

ND: That’s a really good question. I probably was a little bit of a combination of the hockey IQ and awareness of Zach Parise but with the quickness and explosiveness of Jason Zucker.

I just saw the ice really well and was more of playmaker. If you’re looking for a natural goal scorer, that was more Krissy [Wendell-Pohl].

MH: You’ve competed in a long list of state, national and international events. Looking back and I’m sure this will be difficult, what was or is your fondest memory as a player or coach?

ND: Oh boy. You know I think people would assume an Olympics would stand out to me, and they do. I think one of my fondest memories was our second national championship with the Gophers in 2005. It was just one of those years where everyone in the locker room had each other’s backs. It wasn’t about who had the points or who was getting the attention; it was about the team first attitude. It sounds really cheesy, but it was just one of those seasons or teams where everything clicked.

MH: What about a favorite memory as a youth player?

ND: Going to those out of town tournaments with your buddies and playing floor hockey in the hallway. That’s where memories are created. In Squirts and Peewees, those would be the highlights of the season is taking that trip up north, staying in a hotel, hanging out with your buddies.

MH: Who was the toughest player you ever played against?

ND: Krissy Wendell [now Wendell-Pohl]. I was happy when she was a teammate. There’s no greater competitor. Talk about a gamer. I was blessed to be able to play on a line with her.

MH: What has you the most excited about in terms of the future of girls’ and women’s hockey?

ND: To walk into Ridder Arena and see that place packed every home series is pretty special. That means people are spending their time on the weekends going out and watching a game. I hope in five to seven years that’s a trickle-down effect. Can St. Cloud, can Mankato, can Bemidji, can they start to do that same thing in their own community? You walk into a game, and there’s an atmosphere now. There’s a high skill level. There’s a product on the ice that is fun to watch.

Hopefully, that leads to girls picking up sticks when they’re 5-6 years old and saying, ‘Mom, Dad, I want to play hockey.’ That’s what it all comes down to. How many young girls are saying I want to do that?

MH: Last, but certainly not least, what is your best advice for young girls just getting into hockey?

ND: Follow your passion. Follow what’s fun. Do in the morning what you’re excited about. For me, that was putting on my skates. Hopefully, for a lot of these little girls, it’s the same. It’s a fantastic game. You meet life-long friends and you learn a lot of valuable lessons too. 

Most Popular