After the Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways with former head coach Mike Sullivan last week, Penguins’ POHO and GM Kyle Dubas gave some hints as to the type of coach they might be looking for to replace him.
Unfortunately, it appears that one big name has been taken off the board.
On Monday, coach David Carle and the University of Denver Pioneers reached a multi-year contract extension that will keep him in Denver for the foreseeable future. This extension was reached despite Carle having conversations with and interest from multiple NHL organizations with coaching vacancies.
STAYING PUT: David Carle signs a multi-year contract extension and is committing to a multi-year pledge in support of the Murray Armstrong Hockey Student-Athlete Enhancement Fund.
Full Story: https://t.co/kIo4vQAY1d#GoPios // #ProudPioneerspic.twitter.com/o6Q85XgM5F
— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) May 5, 2025
Carle, 35, has a very good track record as a head coach in developmental leagues, as he has led Denver to two national championships and four Frozen Four appearances in his five full seasons at the helm. In 2024-25, Denver went 31-12-1 and opened the season on a 12-game winning streak.
He has also coached Team USA at the World Junior Championship for the past two years, leading the team to gold in this year’s tournament.
With Carle out of the picture, the Penguins will likely still be seeking other similar candidates for their coaching vacancy. Dubas heavily leaned into player development when describing the type of coach they’d be seeking out in their “wide net” search.
“It’d be tough for me, personally, to go with somebody that has no record or real passion for development,” Dubas said. “Those are becoming fewer and fewer in that brethren of coaching right now, so it will be a vital component, for sure.”
He pointed to coaches with AHL, collegiate, and junior experience, which shows that the organization could potentially be prioritizing that developmental experience over a full-blown NHL coaching resume.
As of now, there are seven head coaching vacancies in the NHL, as Sullivan was already scooped up by the New York Rangers. The other teams without a bench boss at the moment are the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Phildelphia Flyers, and Seattle Kraken.
Dubas said the organization will spend the next month conducting interviews and plan to name a new head coach sometime in early June.
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