Charlie Coyle

Lore & Background

Coyle was drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the first round, 28th overall, of the 2010 NHL entry draft. In 2011, he was traded to the Minnesota Wild, with whom he played the first six years of his professional career before being traded to the Boston Bruins in 2019. He played part of a single season with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL in 2012. Coyle made his NHL debut on February 4, 2013, wearing number 63, and later switched to number 3. He scored his first NHL goal on February 23, 2013. He was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on March 7, 2025, and then to the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 27, 2025.

In Their Own Story

Game 7 against Anaheim. Third period. Two minutes left. The puck is dumped into the Wild zone, and Coyle is already skating back, shoulders squared, eyes locked on the opposing winger who's carrying it up the left side. The arena is a single held breath. Coyle angles his skates, lowers his center of gravity, and drives forward. The hit is not flashy—it's a shoulder-to-hip collision at maybe twenty-five miles per hour, the kind that makes the puck skate loose and the crowd exhale all at once. The winger goes down. Coyle stays up, sticks the puck, and turns. Behind him, the Xcel Energy Center is a wall of noise, and for three seconds, the whole team's season lives in that one clean, ugly, perfect check. He doesn't celebrate. He just skates forward, already looking for the next shift.

Reader's Guide

Coyle played for Boston University's Terriers before being drafted. He left Boston University in December 2011 to sign with the Saint John Sea Dogs. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Wild on March 1, 2012. He was traded to the Bruins on February 20, 2019. He signed a six-year, $31.5 million extension with the Bruins in late 2019. He recorded his first NHL hat-trick on November 9, 2023. He played his 1,000th career NHL game on January 22, 2026. He signed a six-year, $36 million extension with the Blue Jackets on May 12, 2026.

Did You Know?

• Coyle is the cousin of former NHL players Tony Amonte and Bobby Sheehan.
• He proposed to his longtime girlfriend Danielle Hooper, former Miss Minnesota USA, in August 2021 and married her in August 2022.
• Coyle scored a memorable goal against the Los Angeles Kings on March 30, 2013, while on his knees.
• He was given a match penalty for a hit on Artem Anisimov but received no additional discipline from the NHL.