Denver HC David Carle reportedly makes big decision on his NHL future involving Blackhawks

University of Denver head coach David Carle appears to have removed one NHL team from his wide-ranging sweepstakes.

Reports surfaced on Saturday afternoon that Carle has withdrawn from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks head coaching job, despite their strong pursuit.

The Hawks fired Luke Richardson in early December and finished the rest of the season with Anders Sorensen behind the bench in an interim role. General manager Kyle Davidson had his sights set on Carle taking over his team full of young players and prospects. However, the interest wasn't mutual.

Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman broke the news first.

"Hearing that David Carle has withdrawn from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks coaching job. The Blackhawks definitely made an aggressive pursuit," Friedman wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

David Carle is signed to a multi-year contract with the University of Denver that runs through the 2026-27 season. Carle has been successful, coaching Denver to NCAA National Championships in 2021-22 and 2023-24. He also led Team USA to back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Hockey Championships (2024 & 2025).

David Carle has always been looking for the right situation

While David Carle is open to coaching at the NHL level, it has to be the right fit for him now and moving forward.

Blackhawks' reporter Mario Tirabassi shared comments Elliotte Friedman made about the kind of opportunity Carle is seeking during an edition of "32 Thoughts: The Podcast " on April 11 on X.

"He is not going (to the NHL) unless it’s a good situation, both financially & ‘path to victory-wise.’ … He’s not going to go anywhere where he doesn’t see, even if it’s a rebuild, the kinds of players that have a path to victory," Friedman said.

Since the Chicago Blackhawks are in the midst of a rebuild that doesn't appear to involve contending anytime soon, it makes sense to hear that Carle withdrew from the running.

That leaves the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken with remaining coaching openings. These teams would surely all be interested in his services. The question becomes, does Carle feel any of these opportunities suit his desires and visions of long-term success?