David Carle Is An NHL-Worthy Coach Who Looks Better Off In The NCAA
Coach David Carle won his third NCAA National Championship with the University of Denver in the last five years earlier this month.
Carle, 35, is no stranger to winning, as this year marked the fourth visit to the Frozen Four and sixth national tournament appearance during his eight years coaching Denver's men's hockey program.
The former NHL draft pick has done enough to deserve a coaching gig in The Show. But the stability of coaching at Denver and the lack of it in the NHL may prevent an NHL-caliber coach from working behind a bench there.
Denver Shares What It Took To Triumph At NCAA Frozen Four Yet Again
Denver does it again. They iced a team without any first-round NHL draft picks, and under coach David Carle, they rallied to beat Wisconsin at the NCAA Frozen Four in Vegas.
His dominance garnered interest from NHL teams, including in 2025 when the Chicago Blackhawks searched for a new coach.
But the stability of being the head of a program and not just a team is ideal for a family.
The average tenure for an NHL head coach position is roughly 2.3 years, which is down from 3.25 years in 2013, according to The Athletic.
Only Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper has remained in his role for longer than 10 years, and only three were hired before the COVID-19 pandemic. The other 29 teams have shuffled around for a new bench boss in the last five years, some teams more than once.
Montgomery has coached three different NHL teams since leaving the University of Denver. He spent parts of two seasons with the Dallas Stars, parts of three seasons with the Boston Bruins and parts of two seasons with the St. Louis Blues.
With Boston, Montgomery's team set the NHL record for wins and points in the regular season in 2022-23, and he won the Jack Adams Award. Despite that, he was booted two seasons later.
Montgomery Of Blues, Carle of Pioneers Share Special Bond
ST. LOUIS – Jim Montgomery knows David Carle has a focus on the greatest challenge for a college coach this weekend in St. Louis when the 2025 Frozen Four takes place at Enterprise Center Thursday-Saturday.
The New York Islanders and Vegas Golden Knights showed there is no loyalty, even when the team is prepped for a post-season run.
Bruce Cassidy was replaced by John Tortorella with only eight regular-season games remaining, and the Islanders moved on from Patrick Roy to bring in Pete DeBoer with only four games left.
The NHL coaching cycle is a revolving door, and coaches are constantly trying to prove themselves, so building a foundation at a college program may be the better option.
There were seven coaches of Div. I programs this season who spent at least the past 20 years with the same school. Rick Gotkin is at the top of the list. He led Mercyhurst for 38 years before retiring this off-season. Mercyhurst ended up folding its Div. I men's hockey program after its season ended.
Rather than being in the NHL, the college route for a coach might be more appealing as the control of the program demands more responsibility but is balanced with stability.
Carle's dominance over the last five years has made the NHL possibility very real. But with three young kids and a well-oiled machine in Denver, he doesn't need to change jobs.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Hockey News
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 1:37 PM.