- TSN’s Chris Johnston: “no smoke” to David Carle-Leafs coaching rumors
- Frank Seravalli reports Carle politely declined a formal Leafs interview
- Toronto’s bench remains open after Craig Berube was fired May 13
Toronto’s head coaching search just got narrower by one big name.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston shut down the David Carle-to-Toronto chatter on Sunday night, posting on X that there is “no smoke” to the rumors linking the Denver head coach to the Maple Leafs’ vacant bench job. He also took a shot at the fake accounts that spent the weekend pretending he had already broken the news himself.
Here was the Johnston post:
Roughly an hour earlier, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli had the actual news underneath the noise. Per Seravalli, Carle had a pleasant conversation with the Maple Leafs’ brass early in their process but politely declined an invitation to formally interview for the position.
Check out Seravalli’s report:
That tracks with everything Carle has said about NHL coaching publicly. He has talked openly about preferring program stability over the under-two-seasons revolving door at the pro level. At 36, he has built one of the best young resumes in hockey — three NCAA national titles in five years at Denver and back-to-back World Junior golds with Team USA — and he doesn’t appear to be in any rush to leave Magness Arena.
The Leafs had already taken the initial temperature check on Carle, per Elliotte Friedman earlier this month. Now they pivot.
Berube was fired May 13 after Toronto finished 32-36-14 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17. New GM John Chayka has promised a “wide-ranging” search to replace him, with former Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft reported as a front-runner by Seravalli last week.
For now, the splashiest college name on the board is officially off it.
