David Carle (Anchorage, Alaska), who recently completed his fifth season at the helm of the University of Denver men’s ice hockey program, will serve as head coach of the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team, it was announced today by USA Hockey.
Team USA will play in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship December 26, 2023 – January 5, 2024, in Gothenburg, Sweden. The U.S. is in Group B alongside Czechia, Norway, Slovakia and Switzerland and will play its preliminary round games at Frölundaborg Arena.
“We’re thrilled to have David leading our National Junior Team,” said John Vanbiesbrouck, general manager of the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team and assistant executive director of hockey operations for USA Hockey. “He’s done a terrific job at Denver and is one of the bright young coaches in our country.”
Carle, who has led the Pioneers to three NCAA tournament appearances overall in his tenure as head coach at DU, including the 2022 NCAA title, is serving as head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team for the first time. He has led Denver to a 116-53-13 overall record in his five campaigns, which included a COVID-shortened season in 2019-20.
“It’s a great honor to have the chance to represent our country on the international stage,” said Carle. “I’m Iooking forward to the challenge ahead and building a team that will give us an opportunity to bring home a gold medal.”
Carle, who was 28 when he was hired by DU, became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I men’s hockey. He became the fourth-youngest coach to lead a team to a national championship in 2022 when he was 32. He has guided the Pioneers to the last two NCHC regular-season championships.
The Anchorage, Alaska, native spent four-and-a-half seasons behind the bench as an assistant coach at DU from 2013-2018 and helped the Pioneers to the 2017 national championship, two NCHC Frozen Faceoff titles, one NCHC regular-season title, and five NCAA Tournament appearances, including two trips to the Frozen Four.
Before his time in the Mile High City, Carle spent a season-and-a-half with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers as an assistant coach.
As a player, Carle was a standout defenseman at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, where he helped his team capture national titles in 2007 and 2008 and was recruited to play at Denver. He was, however, forced to retire from his playing career prior to attending DU after being diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Instead, Carle served four seasons as a student assistant coach with the Pioneers before graduating in 2012.
USA Pool Schedule:
Norway – 12/26 – 10AM
Switzerland – 12/28 – 10AM
Czechia – 12/29 – 10AM
Slovakia – 12/31 – 5AM
