After leading Grand Rapids High School to the Class 2A hockey tournament in his first year as head coach, Trent Klatt has resigned, saying he doesn't have enough time to coach and be a scout for the New York Islanders.
Earlier this month, Klatt said that he planned to coach at Grand Rapids until his youngest child, currently in seventh grade, graduated from the school. "Unless they fire me, I plan on being here," he told Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins during the state hockey tournament.
Klatt played in the NHL from 1992 until 2004, starting his career with the Minnesota North Stars but playing mostly for Philadelphia and Vancouver.
In a statement on the website grhshockey.com, Klatt said: "Upon completion of the high school season, and after many hours of deliberation and prayer, I have come to the conclusion that I can no longer continue on as the head coach of the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks. I thought that I was going to have enough time to do my job as a scout for the NY Islanders and coach the high school team. It has become clear to me that I do not have the time needed to do both to the level that is required.
Klatt, a former Gophers star and Mr. Hockey when he played for Osseo High School, brought the Thunderhawks to the state tournament for the first time since 2007. The team lost to Eden Prairie in the semifinals and defeated Stillwater in the third-place game.
The school's athletic director, Anne Campbell, said: We were blessed to have him, if only for a year."
