BRAINTREE — It’s been a little over six months since Charlie Coyle first donned a black and gold sweater — fulfilling a childhood dream for the Weymouth native and BU product.
But even with 45 total games (and one Stanley Cup Final run) under his belt as a member of the Boston Bruins, Coyle did note Thursday night that the prospect of going to work just 15 miles away from home is a reality that still is hard to comprehend.
But he's not complaining.
"I don’t know if it’s fully sunk in. I really don’t know. It’s been crazy," Coyle said. "I mean, this is my home, so it just — I don’t know. It’s weird in a way. It’s weird, but I love it. My family loves it. They get to come and watch me play more times than obviously in the past in Minnesota. That’s really special, my grandmothers, extended family, it’s really cool to just work — at home. Just close to them. Just to see them more often? It’s awesome.”
Coyle's relatives are far from the only ones elated that the forward is back in the Bay State. A South-Shore stalwart from his days of youth hockey to the years spent at both Weymouth High School and Thayer Academy, Coyle often draws a crowd whenever he's spotted around town — and especially around a local rink.
On Thursday night, the total hovered somewhere between 200-300 when it came to the crowd huddled around Coyle at the Thayer Sports Center in Braintree — with kids of all ages cramming into the corner of the rink for a chance at a selfie and autograph with the local kid turned NHLer. And for the next 45 minutes, Coyle reciprocated the warm reception — stopping to shake hands, snap photos and sign everything from a puck to a crumpled can of iced tea. By the time he finally went back to the locker room, the rink was just about empty, but the parking lot was teeming with children — many of whom left happy with signed No. 13 sweaters and much more.
Charlie Coyle had a couple hundred kids looking for autographs, selfies, etc. after tonight’s Hold The Line Foundation charity game.
45 minutes later, he finally went to the locker room, after signing everything from a puck to a can of iced tea. pic.twitter.com/qg3fhHXES2
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) August 23, 2019
- Three weeks after the Minnesota Wild canned Springfield native Paul Fenton after a disastrous one-year run as general manager, the club is set to bring in another hockey mind from the Commonwealth to get the franchise back on track. Wilbraham native and former Bruin Bill Guerin will now handle GM duties, with the BC product previously serving as assistant GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he won three Stanley Cups as both a player (2009) and in management (2016, 2017).
- Mitch Marner to Zurich? Ruh-roh. (If you're the Maple Leafs).
- The Cup favorites in the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have already added Kevin Shattenkirk for cheap, cheap money, now have added power forward Pat Maroon — for just 900K. Another low-risk, high-reward move for a scary club.
- Holy hockey pads, Aaron Dell...
Aaron Dell’s stealth mode pads are out of this world. ???
.
?: @ADell32 /IG pic.twitter.com/gygDmfLdjw
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) August 19, 2019
