(left) David Carle returns home to Anchorage this weekend with two other Pioneer players
From: Anchorage Daily News
by Doyle Woody
"DU student assistant coach David Carle had a defibrillator inserted in his chest at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. last month"
Homecomings are nothing new for David Carle, William Wrenn and Adam Murray, not after years of periodic returns to their hometown from the distant outposts where they pursued their hockey dreams.
After all, Carle left Anchorage as a high school sophomore in 2005 to play three seasons at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn.
Wrenn headed out in 2005 too, just as he entered high school, and Murray shipped out the next season. Wrenn played two seasons for the LA Selects in California, then skated two seasons in USA Hockey's National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. Murray logged two-plus seasons with the national program.
Still, this weekend presents a special hockey homecoming for this crew. All three guys are back, all three wearing University of Denver colors as the nationally ranked Pioneers open a Western Collegiate Hockey Association series against UAA at Sullivan Arena.
Carle, his promising playing career cut short by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart that has been cited in the sudden death of young athletes, is Denver's student assistant coach for the second season.
Wrenn, a second-round NHL draft pick last summer, is a freshman defenseman. And Murray, another freshman, will be in goal this weekend.
All three spent early Thursday afternoon at Sullivan, where the Pioneers practiced.
"This opportunity to be able to play in front of all my buddies I grew up with and in front of my family is a real treat for me,'' Wrenn said.
Tonight will mark the first time Wrenn has played in Sullivan. Carle never played there. And Murray played one junior varsity game there for South.
Murray comes into the series as Denver's No. 1 goalie -- for the moment. That's because Marc Cheverie, the Pioneers' star junior netminder, suffered a deep cut to his left calf in a third-period, goal-mouth collision last Friday against Minnesota State-Mankato, and 30 stitches were required to close the wound. Cheverie was injured soon after racking a school- record shutout streak of 223 minutes, 51 seconds, the equivalent of three full games and two-plus periods.
With Cheverie shelved for at least a few weeks, Murray is the man. He picked up the win in the Pioneers' 4-3 victory over the Mavericks the night Cheverie was injured, and backstopped a 4-4 tie in Saturday's series finale.
"It was an unfortunate situation,'' said Murray, 18. "But coming in cold, the team really picked me up. (Coaches) told me from the start I'd be getting chances as well. It just turns out I'll have a few more chances.''
Since arriving at Denver, Murray said, Cheverie has helped him find his way.
"Right off the bat, he took me under his wing,'' Murray said. "He's a great friend and a leader on the team. He doesn't have a letter on his chest, but everyone looks up to him.''
Wrenn, 18, who was drafted by the San Jose Sharks last summer, said attending Denver and playing for the Pioneers has been everything he imagined. Denver is ranked No. 2 in one national poll, No. 3 in another. Wrenn has furnished three assists and a team-best plus-6 rating in seven games.
"The weather's great, school's difficult -- I expected that -- and the team is doing well,'' Wrenn said. "I like the boys and the facilities are first-class. Everything's great.''
Carle, who turned 20 earlier this week and enjoyed a birthday dinner with his family Wednesday, attends Pioneers practices and workouts, and serves as the club's eye-in-the-sky during home games. He doesn't usually travel with the team but, hey, this was a trip to his hometown.
The tiny hope Carle harbored in the back of his mind that he might one day be able to resume his playing career was "extinguished,'' he said, when he recently suffered a couple of episodes of abnormal heart rhythm.
Carle last month had a defibrillator inserted in his chest at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Carle said he enjoys coaching -- Denver honored his scholarship after his diagnosis, and he is taking business classes -- but he is still looking for something that stokes him like playing hockey did.
"I've developed more interest in this (coaching) direction, but it's still not something I'm fully committed to,'' he said. "The challenge now is to find something I have the same passion for (as playing).
"That's been hard to do, but hopefully I find that. I'm not one to rush into decisions. When you put so much time and effort into something, it's hard to find something to replace it.
"With school, I don't think I've found that thing yet that makes me tick, that sparks the same passion, but hopefully I will.''
(above) North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol gets "Booned" during the 2nd period on the FCS-Rocky Mountain broadcast
