Just one week removed from guiding the Bismarck Bobcats to their longest winning streak since the 2003-04 season, head coach Dane Litke resigned on Tuesday.

Litke said that an undisclosed off-ice incident with his players breaking team rules - but not doing anything illegal - led to a disagreement with owner Thom Brigl over discipline.

"It was a situation that happened where I felt one way and Thom felt another way about it," Litke said. "I just don't think it was right, and I thought it was best that I resigned."

Brigl noted that "philosophical differences" larger than one particular incident led to Litke's decision.

"Dane has passion for helping the boys and Ihave a passion for helping the boys, but we have different ways of motivating,"Brigl said. "It doesn't make him right and me wrong or him wrong and me right."

Litke said that in a sense, the disagreement was a final straw, but that even though things came a head very quickly, the parting was relatively amicable.

"There was no shouting or yelling," Litke said. "I just said that it was time for me to go, and Thom agreed."

Litke's assistant, Byron Pool, will take over as the interim coach and, according to Brigl, will likely hold that label for the rest of the season.

"We're just trying to catch our breath and keep playing hockey," Bobcats general manager Jane Link said. "… We wish Dane the best, and we're going to keep moving forward."

Litke joined the Bobcats for the 2002-03 season as an assistant to Chad Johnson. A former captain for the University of North Dakota hockey team, Litke had helped the Sioux win a national title in 1997.

He played professionally in the Central Hockey League and East Coast Hockey League, eventually easing into a player-coach role with Baton Rouge of the ECHL.

Litke made an immediate impact in Bismarck as an assistant, shaping the defense as the Bobcats won back-to-back Borne Cup championships in his first two seasons, advancing to the national title game in 2004.

When the Bobcats failed to make the NAHLplayoffs in 2005, Johnson's contract was not renewed and Litke was promoted to head coach.

Bismarck went 31-23-4 that first season, losing their first-round playoff series to Johnson's Fargo-Moorhead Jets, 3-1.

Litke's second year was less successful, as the Bobcats went 26-30-6. Bismarck missing the playoffs for the first time since 1997-98 and had its first losing season in franchise history.

This year things got off to an even rockier start, as the Bobcats began 3-8-1. Bolstered by a four-game sweep of Alexandria, Bismarck won six in a row and reached the .500 mark before dropping two to division-leading North Iowa last weekend.

His overall record with the Bobcats was 68-66-12.

"I wished we could have won more games and made the playoffs last year,"he said. "I guess the thing I'm proudest of is probably winning the two championships, getting the head coaching job and moving seven kids to Division Ischools in the last two years."

Litke added that he believes the Bobcats can be successful this year.

"I think this group has some kids with Division Ipotential," he said. "There are six, seven, eight kids that could be moving to the next level. … They're going to be all right."

Litke said he would like to coach again, perhaps at the college level, but wants to take some time before getting back behind the bench.