Cam Neely Discusses Life In The NHL’s Toronto Bubble

The Boston Bruins are one of 12 Eastern Conference teams currently isolated in a bubble in Toronto. The city was selected as the NHL’s ‘Eastern Conference Hub City‘ earlier this summer. In addition to players and the coaching staff, a number of other Bruins personnel are in the bubble. That includes President Cam Neely.

“I think the league did a fantastic job of really trying to figure out how to put this together. It gives us the best chance to play,” Neely said about the bubble. “Being isolated like this, being in the bubble, testing on a regular basis, not being allowed to go outside the bubble, when they talk about a bubble, it really is a bubble. I think the only way this thing is going to succeed is by everybody making sure that they stay in the bubble and behave accordingly.”

The bubble isn’t the only thing that will be different during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The games will be played in empty buildings, as fans are not permitted. It has a very different feel than a normal postseason game.

“It’s a different environment, none of us have seen this at the NHL level, a live hockey game like this. It’s similar to watching a practice although you’re playing against another team,” Cam Neely said when asked about the atmosphere. “This is strictly made for TV that’s for sure.

“I watched a period and a half when we first got here and it was a strange experience being in the building watching it live. Then I watched some games on TV, which felt a little bit more normal.”