The U.S. women's hockey team is without a coach less than a month before the world championships and less than a year away from the 2018 Olympics.
Star forward Hilary Knight tells The Associated Press that Ken Klee is "not our coach right now." The two-time Olympic silver medalist said Saturday that the decision was made by the national governing body and declined to elaborate on the reasons the team was given.
The team's general manager, Reagan Carey, couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Klee played for seven NHL teams during a 14-year career. He was named the coach of the women's national team last year and led it to a gold medal in the world championships. He also coached the team to a victory in the Four Nations Cup in November, but goaltender coach Robb Stauber led the team for an exhibition against Canada in December.
The roster for the world championships, including the coaching staff, has not yet been announced. They begin March 31 in Plymouth, Michigan.
