Peoria names David Karpa as new head coach

August 8, 2016

The Peoria Mustangs, proud members of the NA3HL, are extremely pleased to announce that longtime NHL defenseman David Karpa has been appointed as the new Mustangs Head Coach and General Manager for the 2016-17 hockey season. 

 

Karpa comes to the Mustangs with a tremendous hockey resume and experience as both a player and coach. Last season, Karpa was the Assistant Coach for the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). 

 

Previously, he held various coaching positions in minor league and high school levels in the Anaheim and Chicago areas (including coaching positions at Chicago Young Americans and the Chicago Fury). 

 

Karpa had a 15-year professional hockey career that included 12 seasons in the NHL where he played in 557 NHL regular season games and 19 NHL playoff games.  Karpa was drafted #68 overall in the 4th round of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques. 

 

Karpa subsequently was a member of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (where he was named an assistant captain), Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers. Karpa also played professionally in Russia. Karpa played his college hockey at Ferris State University. 

 

Karpa was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and now resides in Faribault, Minnesota with his wife Lynne and their twin sons Zakary and Jakob. 

 

The Peoria Mustangs would also like to sincerely thank and congratulate its former Head Coach and General Manager, Tyler Rennette, on his promotion to the Springfield Jr. Blues of the NAHL, where he will be the team’s Assistant Coach. Over the past two regular seasons under Rennette’s leadership the Mustangs qualified for the playoffs in each year with a combined season record of 55-31-8 (.628).