The only member of the Pioneers to have ever won the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player, defenseman Matt Carle also captured a pair of national championships during his time at DU and won Gold with Team USA at both the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships and the 2004 World Juniors. Following his prodigious amateur career, the Anchorage, Alaska native made an immediate splash upon entering the professional ranks, earning a spot on the National Hockey League's All-Rookie Team in 2006-07 as a member of the San Jose Sharks. Since then he's appeared in over 600 NHL games while continuing to represent the United States internationally, winning a Bronze Medal at the World Championships in 2013.

Now a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, currently one of the top teams in the NHL's Eastern Conference, Carle is hoping to further add to his list of accolades and accomplishments by helping his team make a Stanley Cup Playoff run this year.

"We're rolling right now," Carle said in the midst of Tampa Bay's recent four-game winning streak.
"We want to prove to everyone that making the playoffs last year (the Lightning's first 100-point season since 2010-11) wasn't a fluke. We've gotten off to a good start (in 2014-15). There's certainly a lot of hockey left to play but I think we're on the right track."

Carle, 30, recently took time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions from DU hockey fans, submitted via Twitter with the hashtag `#PiosQ':

Q: As a former World Junior champion with Team USA, have you been watching this year's tournament at all? -submitted by @Bryce_E_Allen

A: I have been. It's always an exciting tournament to watch. Obviously we had a good team and made a good run in '04 (first U20 title in U.S. national team history) which was a great experience so I definitely try and follow it as much as I can now.

Q: Which of your two national championships was the hardest to win, 2004 or 2005? -submitted by @George_Banks99

A: That's a tough question. Both of them were very special. They were completely different experiences for us though. In 2004, no one really expected anything from us. We knew we had a good team but didn't really play well in the regular season. We had to go on a good run at the end of the year just to get into the (NCAA) tournament and we had a great group of seniors that provided strong veteran leadership for us and that's what powered us through to win it all. The next year was different - we were probably a little more skilled as a team but we had a target on our back, being defending champions, so that made things tougher on us throughout the season. Both of our titles were tough to win and they were both rewarding in different ways.

Q: Which of your former Pios teammates do you stay in touch with? -submitted by @BooneTrader

A: I keep in touch with a lot of them but Paul Stastny and Chris Butler are the two guys I talk to on a weekly basis. They're both in the NHL (with St. Louis) as well so I get to see them quite a bit.

Q: How does it feel seeing your (younger) brother David behind the bench at your alma mater, serving as an assistant coach on DU? -submitted by @vizoroo

A: It's been fun to watch him evolve into his current role. Obviously he was dealt a tough blow with his heart condition (that ended his playing career) a few years ago but he's really made a strong transition into coaching. This has been a great opportunity for him and he's definitely made the most of it and done a really good job. He's learned a lot from (Head Coach Jim) Montgomery and it seems like the (Pioneers) are doing well this year.

Q: What advice would you give NCAA freshmen entering the college hockey world for the first time? -submitted by @paigeshepherd_

A: Every time you make a jump to another level the pace is always faster so try and learn as much as possible from the older guys and listen to your coaching staff. Remember to have fun as well. Looking back on my career, playing at Denver was some of the most fun I've ever had playing hockey so make sure you enjoy yourself and appreciate your time in college.