Charlie Coyle, a Boston-area native who spent nearly seven years in Minnesota before the B's acquired him late last season, is relieved that he was already living in Boston when the NHL suspended play last month.
There were already too many positive aspects to the trade that brought Charlie Coyle to his hometown NHL team for him to count. Now, there's another one.
Had Coyle still been playing for the Minnesota Wild, he may well have returned to his native Weymouth, Mass., or close, during the coronavirus pandemic that has interrupted the NHL season. But when the league halted play and directed players to self-quarantine on March 12, Coyle was already home.
“When I was playing in Minnesota [2012-13 until he was traded to the Bruins on Feb. 20, 2019], I'd have a place out there, and then when you're home [in the offseason], where do you stay?” the 28-year-old center said Wednesday during a conference call with local media.
“Now I don't have to do that. I have one place, all my belongings here — this is where I live. It's kind of simplified things, which is nice, mentally.”
Coyle is free from another worry: He signed a six-year contract extension on Nov. 27; otherwise, he'd be sweating out the options for unrestricted free agents (like teammate Torey Krug) for whenever the NHL does complete the 2019-20 season, which it still hopes to do.
“I'm glad things worked out on my end, obviously,” he said. “Not that I was really worried about it [at the start of the season], but then all this happens, and it kind of throws you for a loop.”
Coyle, however, hasn't had it easy, either. His paternal grandmother, Gail Coyle of Weymouth, who was ill before the coronavirus pandemic, passed away on March 24 at age 81.
“That was tough for the family, especially during this time,” he said. “It was kind of an awkward thing, to try to get everyone together, and have other people try to pay their respects.
“It was a tough one, but she lived a great life, and we have a lot of memories with her. It's just sad to see her go.”
Meanwhile, Coyle is experiencing the same uncertainties as every NHLer who wonders when, how, if and maybe even where the league will resume its season, and how to stay ready for a return. With the Bruins leading the NHL at the time of the pause, and Coyle (16 goals, 21 assists) flourishing in the expanded role given to him by coach Bruce Cassidy, it's not hard to stay motivated — but it's not easy to stay conditioned for hockey when it's impossible to skate.
“I'm just kind of treating it as my summer training schedule, as if the season was over,” said the 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pound player. “I'm working out four, five times a week. I was doing a lot of body weight [exercises], and I was able to get my hands on some weights and other equipment. I actually bought a Peloton bike, because I needed some kind of [cardio] conditioning.
“And stickhandling in the living room, trying to keep up the skills that you can with what you've got, and stay sharp. Because you never know what's going to happen, right? I'm just trying to stay in shape the best I can, without being on the ice.”
Coyle may be onto something. With the hiatus now past the one-month mark and no way to forecast when it will end, the NHL is almost certainly looking at a summer return to play, if that. Players will be rested and healthy but Coyle thinks they'll have to be treated as if they're starting a new season.
“It's just so crazy to think about what will go into the scheduling, planning and all that,” he said. “Usually, you get your skates under you for at least a month [in late summer], and then have training camp, and then you have the preseason and you're ready to go.
“I don't know what everyone else is thinking as far as how much time we'd actually need [to prepare]. Off the top of my head — a couple of weeks? That's the best I can give you right now.”
Holed up in Boston with his girlfriend, Danielle, and new dog Bodi, Coyle is learning how to binge-watch (“Ozark” is currently in the rotation), to cook a little more (although supporting local restaurants via takeout is a much-used dining option), to stay home and be patient.
“It's just a crazy thing, but that's what we've got to do to stay safe, and make sure everyone else is safe and healthy,” he said. “We just have to do our part that way, I guess.”