David Gove

David Thomas Gove (May 4, 1978 – April 5, 2017) was an American ice hockey player and head coach of the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. He last played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2008–09 season. Though he primarily played in the minor leagues, Gove did appear in two games with the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 2005 and 2007.

Career Player Gove grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and played youth hockey locally and in the Boston area. As a youth, he played in the 1992 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Boston Bruins minor ice hockey team. He later played college hockey for the Western Michigan University Broncos, where he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award for the top player in NCAA men's hockey. and recorded an assist in his first NHL game.

Several months later, the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. Gove did not meet the qualifications to have his name engraved on the Cup because he did not play in half of the regular season games or make a Cup Final appearance, but he was included in the Stanley Cup team picture and was able to raise the Cup after the Hurricanes' Cup victory due to being a member of the team's "Black Aces" "taxi squad." He was also presented with a Stanley Cup ring by the team. before being returned to the Hurricanes' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate in Albany on October 23, 2006. Gove was later recalled several times by the Hurricanes during the 2006–07 NHL season, but was not placed into the Hurricanes' lineup. Gove was later traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for prospect Joe Jensen on January 31, 2008. Gove retired after the 2008–09 season, playing 522 professional games across five different leagues.

Coaching Prior to the 2015–16 ECHL season, Gove was hired as an assistant coach to Clark Donatelli, head coach of the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers. Gove was named the Nailers' interim head coach when Donatelli was promoted to the head coaching position of the Nailers' AHL affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on December 22, 2015. On January 21, 2016, he was made the full-time head coach of the Nailers. However, on April 29 he took a leave of absence for undisclosed reasons from Nailers while the team was in the playoffs. He was replaced as head coach in July 2016 by Nailers' assistant coach Jeff Christian. It was later revealed he went into rehab for drug use, having been abusing painkillers prescribed for the injury that had ended his playing career.

According to the Boston Globe, Gove became addicted to drugs following his playing-career ending injury.

Gove was survived by a three-year-old son Cullen, his mother Donna, and sisters Kim Burnieika and Kristen Buttrick.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1997–98 Western Michigan CCHA 3687158 ————— 1998–99 Western Michigan CCHA 339142312 ————— 1999–00 Western Michigan CCHA 3618284622 ————— 2000–01 Western Michigan CCHA 3922375916 ————— 2000–01 Orlando Solar Bears IHL 91122 10000 2001–02 Johnstown Chiefs ECHL 5417324932 81344 2001–02 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 172468 ————— 2002–03 Laredo Bucks CHL 84121615 ————— 2002–03 San Antonio Rampage AHL 7215203530 30110 2003–04 Utah Grizzlies AHL 7514223628 ————— 2004–05 Providence Bruins AHL 7013183130 1733614 2005–06 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 6520264650 ————— 2005–06 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 10110 ————— 2006–07 Albany River Rats AHL 498132127 40224 2006–07 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 10000 ————— 2007–08 Albany River Rats AHL 458152331 ————— 2007–08 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 361572210 23571210 2008–09 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 203038 ————— AHL totals 44998125223222 478132128 NHL totals 20110 —————

Awards and honors Award Year All-CCHA Second Team 1999–00 All-CCHA Second Team 2000–01