University of Denver head coach David Carle has taken himself out of the Maple Leafs’ coaching search. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Sunday that Carle and the Leafs’ brass had a pleasant conversation early in the process, but that he politely declined an invitation to formally interview for the vacancy. The report puts an end to a weekend of speculation that had grown rampant enough for multiple insiders to step in and tamp it down, with TSN’s Chris Johnston noting there was “no smoke” to the rumors circulating online.
Carle has long been one of the most coveted coaching candidates outside the NHL for good reason. He has led Denver to three national championships in the last five years, the most recent this past April, and coached the United States to back-to-back World Junior golds in 2024 and 2025, then signed a multi-year extension with the Pioneers last May. He has been contacted by NHL clubs before and has consistently opted to remain in the college ranks. For Toronto, it closes the door on a name that had dominated the conversation and sends GM John Chayka and senior adviser Mats Sundin back to the rest of their list as the search continues.
Additional Notes
- Craig Berube, fired by Toronto after two seasons, has completed his formal interview with the Edmonton Oilers, who are looking to replace Kris Knoblauch, as reported by David Pagnotta with The Fourth Period. It is anticipated the Los Angeles Kings could be next in line. L.A. has been searching for a permanent bench boss since dismissing Jim Hiller on March 1 and naming D.J. Smith interim.
- In the latest from Denver Gazzettes Evan Rawall, pending RFA Jack Drury has been seeking around $3 million per year on his next deal. He posted a career high with 10 goals and tied his career high with 27 points in 82 games while winning 58.1% of his faceoffs. He is a quality bottom-six center and Colorado’s best faceoff man, so any decision comes down to cost with the Avalanche carrying under $3 million in projected cap space and a Cale Makar extension atop the priority list.
Hope for the Kings sake that they hire a more offensively oriented HC than Berube.
Not shocked at all. The only team I can see Carle moving to is the Avalanche. He clearly wants his family to stay in Denver, he loves the city and the school. People forget, he had a full ride to Denver, he ended up being medically ineligible to play, and the school honored his full ride scholarship anyway. That buys a TON of loyalty.