(above) DU alums Paul Stastny (#26) & Matt Carle (#25) battle for the puck last night in the Pepsi Center. Avs won 5-4.
At the end of last season, we wrote about the Carle brothers' relationship. David, a rising star in his own right, was about to follow his brother as an NHL draft pick when doctors noticed an irregularity in his tests at the NHL combine in Toronto.
David was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart wall that can lead to sudden death during exercise; he was forced to quit hockey immediately. You can read more about his story at http://go.philly.com/carle.
Yesterday, the Daily News caught up with both Carles to find out how things are going. David, a sophomore at the University of Denver - the same school where Matt won hockey's Heisman, the Hobey Baker award - is a student assistant coach.
"Nothing has really changed for me, except for the fact that I'm more comfortable in my role," David Carle said. "I have been restricted from heavy exercise since Day 1, so it is frustrating, but I still get a chance to mess around on the ice every day with the team."
His brother, Matt, also has settled down. After two trades in 6 months last season, he leads the NHL in plus/minus for the Flyers. Entering last night, Carle had 14 points in 20 games.
Hailing all the way from Anchorage, Alaska, the Carles were able to spend the summer together in Minnesota. Matt and his fiancee bought a house in Minnetonka and David spent the summer with a buddy in nearby Maple Grove.
"We golfed every week," Matt Carle said. "It was great. We spent a lot of time together."
The two ate lunch together in Denver on Sunday and David attended last night's game.
Matt has been able to act as both role model and older brother for David.
"It was a different thing for him to do [to stay at Denver and coach]," Matt said. "He's learned a lot about the game from a different perspective.
"When I talk to him, it's more about being a student and enjoying college. He seems like he's having a good time. I had a blast in college; it's a great time to grow up. He needs to be able to do that, too."
David has enjoyed following in Matt's footsteps, even if it doesn't include playing for Denver's hockey program.
"He's been able to pass down some of his experiences," David said. "It's pretty cool walking where he used to walk. He is one of the huge reasons why I got to where I did."
In turn, David hasn't been surprised by Matt's climb to the top.
"He has always been an elite player," David said. "He learned some tough lessons. All summer he was excited to get back to playing and proving he belonged. The big part is that he is finally in a place where he is comfortable playing."
And now David has found that same spot.
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