The NHL bubble experiment to play all its playoff games in Toronto and Edmonton has been an unqualified success.

North Bay’s Mike Yeo, an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers says it was very comfortable but it was lonely at times too being away from family.

“Every day I was looking out at the water and thinking about my cottage as we could see Lake Ontario from the hotel and people were boating. It wasn’t easy but you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup so there were good and bad moments,” he says.

The Flyers were in Toronto and were eliminated in the 2nd Round. Yeo told BayToday the fans were definitely missed and it was important for the players to focus on the games.

He says it wasn’t easy especially with many players having young children at home and being away from them for several weeks.

Yeo told BayToday the playoffs were a little different this time around with players on competing teams staying in the same hotel during a playoff series.

“On a game day you go to the gym and you run into the Islanders coaches and the referees for that night’s game. That’s something that doesn’t typically happen in a playoff series,” Yeo says.

Yeo, who spends his summers at a cottage on Lake Nipissing says the most inspirational part of the bubble experience for the Flyers was to see the strides forward Oskar Lindblom made from finding out he had cancer to the treatments and then actually playing in two playoff games.

(photo courtesy Chris Dawson BayToday)

Filed under: Mike Yeo