Grand Rapids' Klatt trades in travel for reward of coaching

Trent Klatt had two dreams as kid growing up in hockey: play in the state tournament, play for the Gophers.

He got halfway there.

Klatt became a Mr. Hockey winner at Osseo before continuing his career in Dinkytown, but the state tournament remained an unreached destination.

He can check that off his bucket list now, too.

In his first season as a high school coach, Klatt led Grant Rapids to the Class 2A tournament for the first time since 2007.

"I feel like I got my second chance," Klatt said.

A sweet reward greeted him and his team late Thursday night.

"I'm just happy to be along for the ride," Klatt said.

He was not unlike many Minnesota kids growing up. He attended the tournament every year, hoping someday he could take part in the spectacle.

That moment finally came, albeit in a different capacity. His excitement hasn't suffered.

"I don't get to actually play but I get to be on the bench and watch these kids get to enjoy the moment," he said. "Through their eyes I get to see it, feel it, breathe it and live it."

This was never part of his grand plan, the coaching part. Klatt played for five teams in his 14-year NHL career, beginning with the North Stars.

Klatt retired in 2005 and basically did nothing except hunt for one full year.
"I had to get it all out of my system," he said.

Once boredom arrived, he realized he needed a job as a source of income and to keep from going stir crazy.

New York Islanders General Manager Garth Snow hired him as a scout. Klatt ascended to become the organization's head amateur scout for five years.

He loved the work, but hated the travel and time away from his wife and five kids. From November to March, he spent roughly 25 nights a month on the road.

"I know my way through every airport, every car rental place, I know which hotels to stay at," he said.

Grand Rapids began looking for a head coach around the same time. Klatt had coached his daughters' youth teams and helped with the varsity when his schedule permitted. Friends encouraged him to apply.

"I'm like, 'Oh boy, I didn't sign up for that,' " he said.

But then he did sign up, and got the job.

Klatt found his way to Grand Rapids years ago through marriage. His wife, Kelly, has an identical twin named Kerby. She is married to Klatt's former Gophers teammate Ken Gernander, who is from Coleraine and bought a house on a lake near Grand Rapids.

The Klatts bought a home next door a few years later. Kelly Klatt coaches the Grand Rapids softball team. Her husband looks like a natural in his new gig, too.

Klatt walked into a good situation. His team is blessed with talent, including Mitchell Mattson, a Mr. Hockey finalist and North Dakota commit.

A state tournament berth in his rookie season shows that Klatt knows how to put the puzzle together and impart his hockey knowledge.

As for how long he plans to coach, he's keeping that open-ended. His youngest daughter is in seventh grade. He plans to coach until she graduates.

"Unless they fire me, I plan on being here," he said.

Does he consider himself a coach now?