From: Denver Post by Mike Chambers
(left) David Carle was at the NHL Combine where it was first learned that he might have issues related to his heart
Incoming University of Denver freshman defenseman David Carle, brother of former DU star Matt Carle of the San Jose Sharks, withdrew from the NHL draft after being told by doctors Thursday that he has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart that has been linked to sudden death for athletes.
"I'm really quite fortunate they were able to find it before it was too late," Carle said. "It's tough, but I'm just trying to focus on the positives."
Carle was expected to be taken in the first two rounds of the draft. Matt Carle, who in 2006 became DU's first Hobey Baker Award winner, was selected in the second round (47th) of the 2003 draft by San Jose.
Matt Carle said in January that his brother is "better than me."
David Carle, 18, still plans to attend DU. Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky told Carle his scholarship would be honored.
"I'm grateful to NHL doctors for discovering it and very happy with the University of Denver for honoring my scholarship and still treating me like part of the family," Carle said.
Gwozdecky won't get the chance to coach Carle, but knows life isn't all about hockey, either.
"We are so grateful for David's long-term health," Gwozdecky said. "(Not being able to play hockey is) very disappointing for David, his family and, obviously, our program. But we are still very grateful to have him at the University of Denver."
Carle's disease is different from the one that forced former Avalanche forward Steve Konowalchuk to retire in 2006. Konowalchuk has Long QT Syndrome, a genetic disease involving electrical conduction that can lead to irregular heart rhythms.
"The first thing is, he's going to have to worry about quality of life. 'What can I do with my life? And am I an immediate threat?' " Konowalchuk said of Carle. "If he keeps his heart rate under control, phase two is he's going to be missing out on his whole career.
"I was upset and felt like I got shafted out of a couple years of playing, but fortunate that I did get to play as long as I did. He could live his whole life like, 'What if?' That's unfortunate. A kid like that, the NHL is his dream."
Agent Kurt Overhardt, whose clients include Matt Carle, is David Carle's adviser and informed all NHL teams Friday that David's career was over.
On Saturday, however, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected Carle in the seventh round (203rd overall).
Incoming Lightning owner Oren Koules pushed for the team to select Carle.
"The kid worked his whole life to be drafted in the NHL, and I didn't see a reason he shouldn't be," Koules said on the club's website.
Carle has spent the past two days studying about his disease, and he has learned a solid diet and only light exercise will give him a chance for a normal life.
He is motivated to help other athletes who don't know they have it.
"The awareness of the disease is not out there," he said. "I would like to stress to others that I didn't show any symptoms, and I encourage all athletes to get tested because usually your first symptom is cardiac arrest, so it's your last symptom."
Carle said his heart condition was first detected at the recent NHL combine and confirmed Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"Once I got my results, I got back and read about the disease online," he said. "I was real conscious and paid attention to it, and I did notice some chest pains. But nothing in my workouts, on or off the ice, did I ever feel like something was wrong."
Athlete Fatalities
Athletes who died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy while playing their sport:
Greg Menton: The 20-year-old swimmer at the University of Massachusetts collapsed and died about 10 minutes after swimming the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles in a meet Jan. 11, 1996.
Reggie Lewis: Boston Celtics star player died July 27, 1993, at age 27 after shooting baskets during an informal practice.
Eric "Hank" Gathers: Basketball player for Loyola Marymount died March 4, 1990, during a West Coast Conference Tournament game against the University of Portland, about three months after he first collapsed while playing basketball. He was 23.
Sergei Grinkov: The Olympic and world figure skating champion died Nov. 20, 1995, at age 28 after collapsing in Lake Placid, N.Y., while practicing pairs skating with wife Ekaterina Gordeeva.
"I'm really quite fortunate they were able to find it before it was too late," Carle said. "It's tough, but I'm just trying to focus on the positives."
Carle was expected to be taken in the first two rounds of the draft. Matt Carle, who in 2006 became DU's first Hobey Baker Award winner, was selected in the second round (47th) of the 2003 draft by San Jose.
Matt Carle said in January that his brother is "better than me."
David Carle, 18, still plans to attend DU. Pioneers coach George Gwozdecky told Carle his scholarship would be honored.
"I'm grateful to NHL doctors for discovering it and very happy with the University of Denver for honoring my scholarship and still treating me like part of the family," Carle said.
Gwozdecky won't get the chance to coach Carle, but knows life isn't all about hockey, either.
"We are so grateful for David's long-term health," Gwozdecky said. "(Not being able to play hockey is) very disappointing for David, his family and, obviously, our program. But we are still very grateful to have him at the University of Denver."
Carle's disease is different from the one that forced former Avalanche forward Steve Konowalchuk to retire in 2006. Konowalchuk has Long QT Syndrome, a genetic disease involving electrical conduction that can lead to irregular heart rhythms.
"The first thing is, he's going to have to worry about quality of life. 'What can I do with my life? And am I an immediate threat?' " Konowalchuk said of Carle. "If he keeps his heart rate under control, phase two is he's going to be missing out on his whole career.
"I was upset and felt like I got shafted out of a couple years of playing, but fortunate that I did get to play as long as I did. He could live his whole life like, 'What if?' That's unfortunate. A kid like that, the NHL is his dream."
Agent Kurt Overhardt, whose clients include Matt Carle, is David Carle's adviser and informed all NHL teams Friday that David's career was over.
On Saturday, however, the Tampa Bay Lightning selected Carle in the seventh round (203rd overall).
Incoming Lightning owner Oren Koules pushed for the team to select Carle.
"The kid worked his whole life to be drafted in the NHL, and I didn't see a reason he shouldn't be," Koules said on the club's website.
Carle has spent the past two days studying about his disease, and he has learned a solid diet and only light exercise will give him a chance for a normal life.
He is motivated to help other athletes who don't know they have it.
"The awareness of the disease is not out there," he said. "I would like to stress to others that I didn't show any symptoms, and I encourage all athletes to get tested because usually your first symptom is cardiac arrest, so it's your last symptom."
Carle said his heart condition was first detected at the recent NHL combine and confirmed Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"Once I got my results, I got back and read about the disease online," he said. "I was real conscious and paid attention to it, and I did notice some chest pains. But nothing in my workouts, on or off the ice, did I ever feel like something was wrong."
Athlete Fatalities
Athletes who died from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy while playing their sport:
Greg Menton: The 20-year-old swimmer at the University of Massachusetts collapsed and died about 10 minutes after swimming the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles in a meet Jan. 11, 1996.
Reggie Lewis: Boston Celtics star player died July 27, 1993, at age 27 after shooting baskets during an informal practice.
Eric "Hank" Gathers: Basketball player for Loyola Marymount died March 4, 1990, during a West Coast Conference Tournament game against the University of Portland, about three months after he first collapsed while playing basketball. He was 23.
Sergei Grinkov: The Olympic and world figure skating champion died Nov. 20, 1995, at age 28 after collapsing in Lake Placid, N.Y., while practicing pairs skating with wife Ekaterina Gordeeva.
