Melissa Caruso, PWHL Minnesota’s new GM, pays homage to her predecessor, Natalie Darwitz

Melissa Caruso worked the past 15 years mostly in hockey operations, governance and anonymity.

Now she is the new PWHL Minnesota general manager, replacing three-time Olympian, Hall of Famer and fan favorite Natalie Darwitz, who built a championship franchise in the league’s inaugural season. Darwitz was fired shortly thereafter.

Three months later, Caruso quoted one of the PWHL’s founders — Billie Jean King — on an introductory video conference call with media members Wednesday, one day after her hiring was announced.

“Pressure is a privilege,” Caruso said. “It’s no secret what Natalie built here in Season 1 was really an incredible foundation for this team. She’s so beloved here in the State of Hockey. I know all eyes are on me starting yesterday, and I’m ready to take on that challenge. There certainly will be added pressure. Expectations are high for the team and for the fans. I’m lucky to have inherited what I have inherited.

“There is a great base here and as I talked about, taking this opportunity with my friends, my mentors, the advice given me is to be myself and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations Jayna Hefford called Caruso “the ideal candidate” for the job opening because of those 15 years working her way up in the American Hockey League, where she had overseen off-ice aspects of the AHL’s day-to-day operations since 2019.

Caruso grew up outside Boston and attended Springfield (Mass.) College before joining the AHL. She moved to St. Paul two years ago after her husband accepted a job there and worked remotely from Minnesota since then.

“Since moving here, I’ve really fallen in love with it,” Caruso said. “We’ve built our home here, started to build our family here. I’m really happy to have an opportunity here in St. Paul.”

Now she will work downtown with the team that, Hefford said, is about to sign on for a second season playing at the Xcel Energy Center and training at Tria Rink.

Caruso comes with a wealth of operations experience, but not a lot of player personnel background.

“My background has allowed me to be exposed to all areas of hockey,” Caruso said. “I feel fortunate for that. If you look around the NHL, the AHL, everyone takes their own path to becoming a GM. I’m very proud of my background. I know I have a great staff here, and I’m really looking forward to working with them. I’m a fast learner and I’m going to dive in head first here.”

She’ll work beside head coach Ken Klee, who was an emergency hire only days before last season’s opener after the first coach Darwitz hired, former Bethel coach Charlie Burggraf, unexpectedly resigned. Klee originally interviewed for the general manager job that went to Darwitz.

League sources said Darwitz was fired in early June after a rift with Klee, who had the support of some of the team’s key players. At the time, Hefford said “a change needed to be made” after lengthy reviews revealed issues that could not be resolved.

A former U.S. women’s national team coach, Klee remains Minnesota’s head coach heading into a second PWHL that will start sooner — November or December — than the inaugural season’s January start.

Hefford was asked Wednesday if Klee will take on an additional player-personnel role, given Caruso’s limited experience in player evaluation. Klee oversaw the June draft and the team has signed 16 players for his 23-player roster.

“Ken remains the head coach of the team and I’m sure someone Melissa will lean on as it relates to hockey-related issues,” Hefford said. “His role is the same. … I’m not concerned at all about any issue around the general manager role. We selected Melissa as the ideal candidate to lead the team, and Ken will lead the team on the ice, as he did last season.”

Caruso called herself “lucky” to have Klee as the leader in the locker room.

“I expect to learn a ton from him and the staff,” she said.

Hefford also addressed other matters:

* She said team nicknames and logos that the league went without last season are expected to be announced “very, very soon.”

* The league will include more neutral-site games, including possible international sites.

* Expansion beyond the league’s original six was discussed last season, but there are no immediate plans.