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David Carle
NHL insider James Mirtle said that University of Denver head coach David Carle is the No. 1 candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ HC job.
The Maple Leafs fired former head coach Craig Berube last week after new general manager John Chayka and senior advisor Mats Sundin joined the team. Chayka promised he would make sweeping changes to the organization, and so far, we have seen Berube get let go, plus longtime assistant general manager Brandon Pridham also parted ways with the hockey club.
While Chayka has a lot of work to do between now and September, when the Leafs open up training camp, his top priority at the moment is getting a new head coach in place behind the team’s bench. To that end, he has said that the Leafs will cast a wide net in search of their next bench boss, as the team needs to make sure they get this hire right.
Enter Carle, whom the Leafs have already contacted about the job.
Speaking on the “JD Bunkis Podcast,” the Leafs insider Mirtle said that the Leafs want Carle, and he is the team’s No. 1 target in their head coaching search.
“It’s pretty early days. It sounds like they’re going to cast such a wide net and talk to 30 or 40 people that I’m reluctant to throw out a bunch of names. But Carle is the No. 1 candidate with the success that he’s had in the NCAA,” Mirtle said.
“But he’s been reluctant, and he’s turned down other NHL jobs to leave there. He has a young family. He’s a young guy himself. I think for him, it’s going to be a question of, does he feel ready, and does he feel like it’s the right situation? I don’t think he wants to uproot his family and move, and then things go sideways after two or two-and-a-half years. That’s the average life expectancy for an NHL head coach right now, it’s under two-and-a-half years.
“I don’t think that there’s certainty here with the situation that the Leafs are in. It really feels like they’re in a transition period. Maybe they’re able to turn it around quickly, and maybe he’s able to be the hero, but what if it doesn’t go well? That would be my only pause in bringing in someone without the experience. If next season is a real struggle, are you able to stick with that person through that, and are you able to come out the other side and feel good about that?”
Carle is just 36 years old, and the Anchorage, Alaska, native has been the head coach of the Denver Pioneers since 2018. He holds an overall record of 208–85–20 (.696) with the Pioneers, and he has head-coached the team to three national championships in men’s NCAA hockey, plus once more as an assistant.
As Mirtle noted, Carle has been courted by NHL teams in the past, specifically the Chicago Blackhawks, who reportedly offered him a lucrative contract to leave Denver and come to the NHL. But he chose to stay in Denver at the time. Perhaps, though, the Leafs can convince him to make the move to the pros if they offer him enough money to make the juice worth the squeeze. Otherwise, he seems happy in Denver.
Adam Martin Adam Martin is a sports journalist with over 15 years of experience. He has a speciality in MMA, while also covering the Big 4 Sports. Adam is currently a contributor to Heavy.com, with previous experience working for The Toronto Star, Sportsnet, theScore, Bookies, BJPenn.com, and MMAOddsbreaker.com. More about Adam Martin
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