Back Home During A Pandemic, Charlie Coyle Sees ‘Boston Strong’ Again

Charlie Coyle was in Calgary getting ready to play for the Minnesota Wild against the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome when two bombs exploded at the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Seven years later on One Boston Day, the Weymouth, MA native and now Boston Bruins forward recalled watching from afar. Rather than focus on the horror of that day, Coyle recalled how Boston became ‘Boston Strong’ and how in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, he’s seen the same unity that derived from that tragedy.

“You remember that day and everyone affected by it,” Coyle said. “Just such a crazy time but those hard times is when you see everyone come together and it makes you very proud to be from this area and in Boston. Just all the people. …Boston Strong and that whole aspect, it makes you want to keep living by that and what we’re going through now, another obstacle that we all have to kind of come together and do our part to get through this and get past this, and overcome this. So I think in these hard times, it helps bring everyone together and work towards a common goal and we all know what that is right now.”

Just like everyone wants, Coyle, fresh off signing a six-year, $31.5 million contract and living back home, would love to be back at work and feeling a sense of normalcy. However, Coyle realizes that while he may want to be playing for the Stanley Cup right now, he’s not dealing with the much more serious issues others have been beset by. While the NHL has been on pause, Coyle has had the time to see and appreciate what those less fortunate are going through and how so many are trying to help each other. 

“I’d love to get back to our normal lives and for me obviously playing hockey and my job but I know everyone else, same thing,” Coyle said. “Their jobs, people who have been laid off and are scratching and clawing to provide for their family. You don’t want to see that happen but that’s where we’re at right now and kind of everyone helping each other and you see a lot of it right now. A lot of great people out there who are doing a lot to help out and you see everyone come together during these tough times. So I think its a lot about where we’re from and the city of Boston as a whole.”