Denver Pioneers head coach David Carle talks with his team during the 2022 Frozen Four college national championship game. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Top Coaching Candidate Withdraws From Blackhawks Search

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI | By Jon Alfano | Last updated Apr 26, 2025 1:19 PM ET

After leading the University of Denver to two NCAA national championships in the past three years, David Carle has emerged as arguably the best head coaching candidate of this hiring cycle. It remains to be seen where he'll end up, or even if he makes the jump at all, but it seems there's at least one team he won't go to.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Carle has withdrawn himself from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks' head coaching job despite an "aggressive pursuit" from the team.

Hearing that David Carle has withdrawn from consideration for the Chicago Blackhawks coaching job.

The Blackhawks definitely made an aggressive pursuit
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 26, 2025

The Blackhawks fired head coach Luke Richardson on Dec. 5, when they sat dead last in the league with an 8-16-2 record. Interim coach Anders Sörensen led Chicago to a 17-30-9 record over the remainder of the season.

Carle, 35, burst onto the scene not just for his success at Denver, where he boasts 179-74-2 record over seven seasons, but also for international coaching prowess. The Anchorage, Alaska native has led the United States to back-to-back gold medals at the IIHF World Junior Championships, winning in 2024 in Sweden and 2025 in Canada.

With his success both in collegiate and international competition, Carle is seen as a strong up-and-coming candidate and could very well make the jump this year. However, it seems like he's content to find the right fit for him rather than just rushing to join the first team that calls him.

The Blackhawks are one of six teams with a coaching vacancy. The others are the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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