A massive rumour just got dismantled and nobody in hockey is disagreeing
Colby Cohen wants the David Carle to Toronto rumors to die immediately.
The ESPN analyst took to X on Saturday with the kind of post that doesn't leave room for interpretation. He's 100% certain that David Carle is not coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.
"Not 99% sure, I'm 100% sure," Cohen wrote. "People are lying and making things up."
That's the loudest pushback any analyst has dropped on a coaching rumor this off-season. Cohen is putting his name and his credibility on the line to shut this one down.
Carle has been one of the most talked-about NHL coaching candidates from the college ranks. The Denver University head coach has been linked to multiple openings this off-season. The interest has been real. The Toronto link wasn't.
This matters for one specific reason. The Maple Leafs head-coach chair is still open. John Chayka and Mats Sundin took over hockey operations. The Brackett scouting hire just got confirmed. The bench voice remains the missing piece.
When rumors fill that void, the front office can't always respond directly. Voices like Cohen end up doing it instead.
Why this clarifies where the Toronto search is actually heading
Chris Johnston reported earlier this week that the Leafs are trying to talk to Peter Laviolette as part of their head-coach search. The same Laviolette has been linked to Edmonton. Two of the biggest markets in hockey are reportedly pursuing the same name.
That leaves Toronto in a familiar position. They need a hire to land soon. The competing search in Edmonton might force a decision before the team is fully ready.
Carle would have been a creative pick. The Denver University track record speaks for itself. He's coached high-level NCAA hockey for years. But Cohen's denial tells you the Leafs aren't going that direction this cycle.
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Honestly, this is the part of every coaching search that fans struggle with. Rumors fly from every direction. Insiders have different sources. Some leaks are real. Some are wishful thinking. Some are just outright invented.
Cohen's frustration is the kind that comes from watching the same fake reports circulate enough times to feel like fact. He chose to make the denial public rather than let it keep spreading.
GM Chayka has been busy elsewhere. The Judd Brackett hire as Assistant GM became official today. The first overall pick is heading to the Leafs at the upcoming draft. Gavin McKenna is the projected selection.
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Toronto finished 28th overall at 32-36-14 with 78 points. The roster needs a coach who can manage the spotlight of a brand-new young centerpiece. Whoever lands the job inherits both Auston Matthews trade chatter and McKenna's NHL debut at the same time.
The job opening still stands. Carle is out. Laviolette is in the conversation. Other names will surface in the coming days as the playoff coaching market continues to clear.
Cohen drew his line in the sand. Toronto's bench is still open. The actual hire is the only thing that ends the noise for good.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 29, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Taylor Hall | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jackson Blake | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cole Caufield | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Alexander Nikishin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Kirby Dach | - | - | - | |
| Phillip Danault | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||