Citing a desire to spend more time with his family, Lee Davidson has decided to step down as a University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey assistant coach.

Davidson, 39, has been a member of the Bulldog staff the past six years. He previously served as volunteer coach for three seasons (1999-2002) at his alma mater, the University of North Dakota. He and his wife, Robin, are parents of two young children, Elena and Simon.

\"I've really enjoyed my time here and that's what made this decision so difficult,\" said Davidson, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba who played nine years of professional hockey before entering the coaching arena. \"Ultimately, it came down to all of time I was spending away from home with recruiting and watching games. With my kids getting older, that was starting to become more and more of a concern for me.\"

A search for Davidson's replacement is expected to begin later this month. Davidson's last official day at UMD is May 2.