Holding a clipboard on the bench at the Tampa Bay Lightning prospects development camp isn’t what David Carle envisioned this summer, but it is something that he’s grateful for nonetheless.

When Carle learned that he has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) - a thickening of the heart that has been linked to sudden death for athletes - and that he may never be able to play hockey again, he did what anyone would do: he broke down and shed a few tears.

“I first heard about it June 6th at the NHL Central Scouting Combine,” said Carle as he watched his fellow Lightning prospects from the stands at Lightning prospects camp in Victoria, British Columbia. “They came and told me that they noticed some abnormalities in my EKG so they suggested I get further testing done.”

Carle went through a series of tests at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. On June 19th – the eve of the NHL Entry Draft - Carle first learned that he would likely never be able to play hockey again, and at that point he notified all thirty teams.

While Carle’s disappointment was justifiably immense, his character was superior, enabling him to create a positive perspective on the situation.

“I took a step back and started to look at it from a different angle, and tried to focus on the positives,” said Carle – a native of Anchorage, Alaska. “I really am quite fortunate that we were able to find it and that I was blessed with the skills and work ethic to make it to the combine.”

Despite his grave condition, the Tampa Bay Lightning still decided to use their 7th round pick to select Carle, helping him realize his dream of being drafted in the National Hockey League. It was something that Carle didn’t expect, but something that he was very excited about even so.

Another thing that Carle didn’t expect was his brother Matt being traded to his Lightning. On July 4th, he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with Ty Wishart and two draft picks in exchange for Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich. Once again, it was something David was very excited about.

“It is something we talked about a little in the last few years,” said the Shattuck-St. Mary's graduate. “I was very excited when he got traded there, and he was too. It’s a good opportunity for him, and it was kind of cool that I was the first one to welcome him to the organization.”

This time, David Carle will be following in his big brother’s footsteps when he attends the University of Denver this fall. While David may not be winning the Hobey Baker Award any time soon like Matt did, he still plans on having an active role on the Pioneers hockey club.

“At this point I do [plan on having an active role] and I think it’ll evolve into a bigger role as times moves on,” said Carle, who will have his scholarship honored by the university. “I’m not really sure the extent of the role or how significant it will be; it’s something we’re still talking about.”

But hockey won’t necessarily be Carle’s main focus in September anymore. His unfortunate condition may have closed the door on his hockey career, but it has opened many more in the other walks of his life.

“I still plan on going into business like I was before, maybe I could do a double major which is something that I wouldn’t have been able to done if I was still playing hockey,” said the bright young adult. “I think I plan on majoring in management, but I guess I’ll just go down there and see what makes me tick and find something that I enjoy doing.”

Carle was adamant that he'd like to make use of his position by getting the word out about his condition.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the muscle of the heart - or formally known as the myocardium - in which a portion of the muscle is thickened abnormally without obvious cause. The thickened heart muscle can interfere with Carle's heart's electrical system, increasing the risk for life-threatening abnormal heartbeats and putting him at risk for sudden cardiac death if he exerts himself too strenuously. Fortunately, Carle is not at high risk for a heart attack while partaking in his day-to-day activities.

Carle would also like to offer up some advice to all young athletes around the world.

“I definitely never thought something like this could happen to me; most kids think they’re invincible at our age,” he acknowledged. “I’d encourage everyone to go out and get an EKG and an echocardiogram done. They’re pretty simple tests and who knows, they could end up saving your life.”

And in Carle’s case, they did just that.

Click here for the correlated David Carle video feature.

Click here to learn more about Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Farhan Devji is the author of a hockey based novel, “The Hockey Farmer.” For more information, visit thehockeyfarmer.ca.tp.