Former Merrimack defenseman Declan Carlile will play for the United States at the upcoming IIHF World Championships. The tournament is scheduled to begin this Friday and run through May 31.
Carlile was promoted to the NHL roster by the Tampa Bay Lightning early this season and appeared in 42 games, with an additional two playoff games in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Carlile began the year with the Syracuse Crunch, where he had 11 points (2g, 9a) in 16 games before being called up.
Carlile becomes only the second former Merrimack player to suit up in the World Championships. Stéphane Da Costa represented France in both the IIHF World Championships and the Olympics.
Da Costa’s World Championship résumé is extensive: he played for France at the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, and 2024 tournaments, and memorably scored two goals in a 2014 upset of Canada in the tournament opener. That 2014 run was particularly special — Da Costa scored twice again in a win over Denmark, marking France’s first appearance in the World Championship quarterfinals since 1995.
Carlile played three seasons at Merrimack before signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning as an undrafted free agent in 2022. With Carlile’s inclusion, Merrimack College is one of 15 universities represented on the 2026 U.S. Men’s National Team roster.