NEWARK, N.J. – Kurt Kleinendorst wasn't surprised when Wild director of minor league operations Jim Mill walked into his office Sunday night to fire him.
"Since Day 1 [last season], it's been a struggle," the beleaguered, now-former Iowa Wild coach said.
Kleinendorst had been talking about his future with Mill for some time and was growing increasingly frustrated by his 2-10 team's lack of response with every button he pushed.
"I always feel that your teams are a reflection of you, and this team was by no means a reflection of me," Kleinendorst said. "It was difficult to get this group to buy in to what I needed them to do, and I own that. I won't pass that off on anyone. I was disappointed, and in the end embarrassed for the way we were playing, but I was also relieved that it was over."
Kleinendorst said it was time to move on from a "bad experience" after he challenged the Wild's youngsters over and over to no avail.
"The last thing any organization wants is for their young kids to be developing in a losing environment because it's not healthy," Kleinendorst said. "We tried and tried and tried. We tried pretty much everything. At the end of the day, what options are left? This is what's left, so I get it."
Replacing Kleinendorst is John Torchetti, who coached the Wild's former AHL affiliate Houston Aeros to consecutive playoff berths and would have relocated to Des Moines last year had he not signed a lucrative contract to coach in Russia. Torchetti has won a Stanley Cup as an assistant with the Chicago Blackhawks and has been an interim head coach with the Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings.
"He's got a great track record of developing and winning," Mill said. "We believed in it at the time we hired him originally and still do, and he's done this transition thing before, which is a difficult thing."
