| Ken Klee | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Klee withPWHL Minnesota in 2024 | |||
| Born | (1971-04-24)April 24, 1971 (age 54) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Washington Capitals Toronto Maple Leafs New Jersey Devils Colorado Avalanche Atlanta Thrashers Anaheim Ducks Phoenix Coyotes | ||
| National team |  United States | ||
| NHL draft | 177th overall,1990 Washington Capitals | ||
| Playing career | 1992–2009 | ||
Kenneth William Klee (born April 24, 1971) is an Americanice hockey coach and former professionaldefenseman who played most notably with theWashington Capitals in theNational Hockey League (NHL). He is currently the head coach of theMinnesota Frost of theProfessional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).
Klee was born inIndianapolis,Indiana. The son of a project engineer whose job required frequent moves, he spent portions of his childhood in Indianapolis,Denver, Colorado, andKansas City, Missouri, before moving toToronto and theSt. Michael's Buzzers on a hockey scholarship as a 17-year-old.[1]
Klee was drafted 177th overall by theWashington Capitals in the1990 NHL Entry Draft. Klee would not play for the Capitals until the1994–95 season, but it did not take him long to become a regular on the squad. Klee played with the Capitals until the end of the2002–03 season. Klee had played in Washington for 9 seasons, and played in 604 games (regular season and playoffs) when he then became a free agent and signed with theToronto Maple Leafs on September 27, 2003.
In Klee's first season in Toronto, he registered career highs in assists (25) and points (29) despite missing 16 games. On March 8, 2006, a day before the NHL's trading deadline, Klee was traded by the struggling Maple Leafs to theNew Jersey Devils in exchange for wingerAlexander Suglobov. On July 24, 2006, Klee signed a one-year contract with theColorado Avalanche as a free agent for the2006–07 season.[2] Klee finished the season leading the Avalanche with a plus/minus of 18. On July 2, 2007, Klee signed a two-year contract with theAtlanta Thrashers.[3]
On September 26, 2008, into the final year of his contract with the Thrashers, Klee was dealt along withBrad Larsen and Chad Painchaud to theAnaheim Ducks for defensemanMathieu Schneider.[4] After starting the2008–09 season with the Ducks, Klee was claimed off re-entry waivers by thePhoenix Coyotes on October 28, 2008.[5] After playing out the season with the Coyotes and becoming a free agent, Klee unofficially announced his retirement.[6]
Though not known as a goal scorer, 13 of his 55 career goals were game-winning goals, the highest percentage in NHL history.
Klee represent United States at the1991 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and senior level at the1992 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships,1997 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships and also at the2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Klee was the head coach for the U.S. squad that finished second during his first Four Nations Cup in 2014 (2–0–1–1). That season, he also guided the U.S. Women's Under-22 Select Team to a first-place finish during his first campaign behind the bench for the U.S. in the 2014 Under-22 Series, defeating Canada in all three games. Klee led the U.S. Women's National Team to the gold medal at the 2015 IIHF Women's World Championship in Malmo, Sweden. He also guided the U.S. to a first-place finish at the 2015 Under-22 Series, defeating Canada two games to one.
Serving in the same capacity at the 2015 Four Nations Cup in Sundsvall, Sweden, Klee led the U.S. to an undefeated record (3–1–0–0) and first championship title since 2012. The tournament marks the seventh consecutive event that Klee has been at the helm of Team USA and the third time he has been behind the bench at the Four Nations Cup. He now owns an 18–3–1–2 record overall.
Klee was the head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team for the 2016 Four Nations Cup in Vierumaki, Finland from Oct 29 – Nov. 6. Klee then served as head coach of the U.S. Women's National Team at the 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation Women's World Championship in Kamloops, British Columbia. He led the U.S. to an undefeated record (4–1–0–0, W-OTW-OTL-L) and gold-medal.
Having left the women's national team, on July 18, 2017, Klee was hired as an assistant coach with theSyracuse Crunch of theAmerican Hockey League.[7]
On December 27, 2023, it was announced Klee would be replacing Charlie Burggraf as the head coach ofPWHL Minnesota, after Burggraf stepped down from the position one week before the team's first game.[8]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1988–89 | St. Michael's Buzzers | MetJHL | 40 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 64 | 27 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 54 | ||
| 1989–90 | Bowling Green Falcons | CCHA | 39 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Bowling Green Falcons | CCHA | 37 | 7 | 28 | 35 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Bowling Green Falcons | CCHA | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Baltimore Skipjacks | AHL | 77 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 93 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 | ||
| 1993–94 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 65 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 87 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 1994–95 | Portland Pirates | AHL | 49 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 23 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1995–96 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 66 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 115 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 51 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 46 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 1998–99 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 78 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 79 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 2000–01 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 54 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 2001–02 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 68 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 70 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 89 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 66 | 4 | 25 | 29 | 36 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 56 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 81 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 72 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Anaheim Ducks | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Phoenix Coyotes | NHL | 68 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 934 | 55 | 140 | 195 | 880 | 51 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 50 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | United States | WJC | 4th | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1992 | United States | WC | 7th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | United States | WC | 6th | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | |
| 2004 | United States | WCH | 4th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Senior totals | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | ||||