{"id":663153,"date":"2026-09-15T18:51:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:51:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/663153\/"},"modified":"2026-09-15T18:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T18:51:16","slug":"2026-blue-jackets-preseason-qa-with-charlie-coyle-loyalty-the-cusp-and-proving-it-the-hockey-writers-columbus-blue-jackets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/663153\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Blue Jackets Preseason Q&A With Charlie Coyle: Loyalty, The Cusp and Proving It – The Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlie Coyle<\/a> found himself in a unique situation during the 2026 offseason. He was set to become one of the most sought-after free agents on the market.<\/p>\n

Coyle turned in one of his best offensive seasons in his career<\/a>. He secured his third 20-goal season while tying a career high in assists while being a member of one of the better lines in the NHL along with Cole Sillinger<\/a> and Mathieu Olivier. <\/p>\n

But then for the first time in his entire NHL career, Coyle experienced the pain of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Many thought this fact alone would be enough reason for him to leave the Blue Jackets. At age 34, he\u2019s to the point where he wants to chase a championship. Opposing teams took notice. They hoped to be able to land him in free agency.<\/p>\n

Except, it never got to that point. Coyle chose to stay with the Blue Jackets<\/a>. It was an important piece of business for the team. It was also ensured Coyle got the term and security he was looking for. Yet, beyond the contract stuff, this decision signaled something even bigger: A belief in where the Blue Jackets are going.<\/a><\/p>\n

Coyle sat down for over 20 minutes with the Hockey Writers to discuss his decision to stay with the Blue Jackets among many other topics. He also discussed the pain of missing the playoffs for the first time, what he sees in the room, the sense of loyalty he has for Don Waddell, preparing for the upcoming season and the captaincy if it was offered. He ends with a strong message for fans.<\/p>\n

This was one of our longer Q&A given the depth of his answers. It is broken up into sections and cleaned up for clarity and flow.<\/p>\n

Why Columbus<\/p>\n

Q: You could have signed anywhere. What did you see here that made six years the right call?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cBottom line, I want to play hockey as long as I can. You have to love the game. I love playing. Getting an offer like that at my age \u2014 I don\u2019t think I was going to see anything like that on the open market. That gives me a chance to keep playing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of things go into it. Family. Where you\u2019re living. Is this a good spot to raise a family? We found out it is. We love where we are. My wife loves it here. She\u2019s from Minnesota. I\u2019m from Boston. This is pretty much the halfway point, so family on both sides can get here without it being a long trip. Kids\u2019 schools can be solidified. You don\u2019t have to move around on a three-year deal with less security.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe second part is I want to win. Who doesn\u2019t? I\u2019ve been here a year. Don kept me at the trade deadline when he probably could have traded me without knowing if I would sign. I didn\u2019t have a clue either. He wanted a straight answer. I couldn\u2019t give him one. He went out on a limb, kept me, kept our team, and tried to make a playoff push. That loyalty is something I value and respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy daughter was about to be born right at the deadline too. That would have thrown a wrench in things. He said he wasn\u2019t going to do that to me. He was going to keep me and let\u2019s do this. I was fully on board.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI like our team. Guys would ask me, \u2018It\u2019s your first time in the playoffs. Totally understandable if you sign elsewhere.\u2019 I didn\u2019t want to jump ship. I want to work at this. I felt valued here \u2014 playing every situation, how the coaches viewed me, how my teammates viewed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CharlieCharlie Coyle stayed in Columbus because he believes in where the Blue Jackets are going. (Photo: Mark Scheig\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved our line with Sillinger and Olivier. We were together most of the year. Instant chemistry. We bonded. I didn\u2019t want to leave that. The moves we made filled some holes. We got bigger, a little meaner, a little stronger. On paper we have a good team. Guys fully believe that. I want to work toward getting in the playoffs and making a run.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt fit everything: stability, security, hockey, the potential. We\u2019re right on the cusp. Younger guys growing into their game. The moves Don has made. I think it all comes together. Not right away, but we\u2019ll build on it. That\u2019s exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building It Here<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s different about building something here compared to Colorado, Minnesota, or Boston, where those teams were further along?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cPeople make a big deal of \u2018they made the playoffs\u2019 or \u2018they didn\u2019t.\u2019 There\u2019s not a big gap. It can be a couple points early in the year that screwed us last year. Little things make a big difference, and all of a sudden you\u2019re a playoff team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis team has been right there two years in a row \u2014 a couple points. That\u2019s not a lot. There are correctable things. Penalty kill is one. Room for improvement. Tweaking things. New coaches behind the bench who will have a say.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYounger guys another year older. Guys who maybe didn\u2019t have the years they wanted personally are capable of being better. The big thing is playing the right way. Get everyone playing the right way more than we did last year, especially when games get tough down the stretch and the pressure is on. We dwindled because we got away from it. I don\u2019t know if we were pressing too hard or lost track of why we were winning in January, February, into March.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we get everyone on the same page, and Bowness has a full year to hold us accountable<\/a> \u2014 and our leaders in the room hold each other accountable \u2014 that\u2019s going to play a big part. There\u2019s a lot of potential. Mold it the right way. It\u2019s not going to be perfect. There will be downs and ups. Grow it the right way, get a good start, keep learning. I think it\u2019s there for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: How did missing the playoffs for the first time sit with you over the summer? Did it change how you\u2019re walking into this year?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cIt sucks. No way around it. It limited a chance to win a Stanley Cup. Is the whole year a total loss? No. You learn from mistakes. Things I could have done differently. Things the team could have done differently. How we\u2019re going to grow and what we have to do to get in this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to work at this. It wasn\u2019t \u2018I didn\u2019t get it here, I\u2019m out.\u2019 I wouldn\u2019t have signed here if I didn\u2019t see potential in what we can accomplish. I have no intent of missing the playoffs again. It\u2019s not fun. It leaves a bad taste.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you lose in whatever round, you want to come back hungrier, get a little deeper, extend the season, give yourself a chance to win a Cup. That\u2019s the goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Bowness Effect<\/p>\n

Q: What changed in the room when Bones first came in? What still needs to change?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cCommunication is the biggest thing. Knowing where we stand. Knowing where the coaches stand, their viewpoints, what they\u2019re expecting. Talking things out. You can\u2019t have a separation from coaches and players where you don\u2019t know. It feels like two separate teams. You\u2019re not in it together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBones is top-notch at that. That was a big thing when he came in. We noticed it right away. At the same time, when he came in it was already crunch time. We were in a bad spot. His hands were tied a little. Maybe holding guys accountable more. When he has a full year to do what he can do and let his wings out, he\u2019s not limited to a short timeframe. I\u2019m interested and excited to see that. We can put it together for a full year, go through the ups and downs together, and do it his way. That\u2019s going to be huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Bones said losing has to bother more people. Where is that standard in the room right now, and what\u2019s your part as a leader?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cHe\u2019s right. He cares and knows what we can get to. Every team that doesn\u2019t win the Cup goes through \u2018what do we have to do better.\u2019 We have older guys and younger guys. We have to set the example.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can\u2019t be \u2018I got my points.\u2019 Throw the selfish stuff out. Team, team, team. If you\u2019re not there for the team, if you\u2019re not playing the right way \u2014 Bones has a full year to hold guys accountable. It\u2019s not just Bones. Leaders and veterans have to do it. Great teams have a good bench. They don\u2019t wait for the coach. They hold each other accountable and set the standard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou talk about it. You show it by how you prepare every day and how you work in practice. It\u2019s on everyone, but especially leaders and veterans to set the standard and not let it fall.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RickRick Bowness was a big reason why Coyle re-signed with the Blue Jackets. (Photo: Mark Scheig\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

Q: There was a lot of offseason noise, including the Kirill Marchenko rumors at the draft. How do you keep that from becoming a distraction?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of outside noise. It\u2019s a business. Teams go through stuff. Detroit with Larkin. Captain situations. Every team has something. Some bigger than others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen everyone\u2019s here at camp, they\u2019re here. Make sure they\u2019re fully on board. If you\u2019re going to be here, you\u2019re here. If you\u2019re not, you\u2019re not going to play. You\u2019ll be left out. You\u2019ll be exposed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave the offseason noise there. Whoever\u2019s here, jump on board and play to the standard we\u2019re going to hold. Whoever doesn\u2019t will fall off. Hungry younger guys will come up. Those things have been addressed. Now we move on and play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking Ahead & Staying Available<\/p>\n

Q: With the shortened preseason, how did you use the summer, and what are the biggest changes players will feel?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cEverything comes quicker. All of a sudden you\u2019re playing meaningful games. You only have so much time to get the bad habits out. A lot of times in these skates you can go through the motions. Then all of a sudden it\u2019s camp, then a preseason game, and it\u2019s too late.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re monitoring every skate. The first time I was here Monday we played five-on-five for a long time. Pace went down. We started to geyser-loop. Bad habits. So dial that back. Play a smaller game. Make sure we\u2019re doing the right things so when camp starts we\u2019re on it. We don\u2019t have to turn our brains on again and remember how we play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t changed much about how I prepare. Be ready for each practice. Bring a little more focus because you only have so many skates before the real games. Meetings, systems, tweaks \u2014 we need to be dialed in. Coaches have a good plan for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: You\u2019re one of the more durable guys in the league. What does that process look like, and how do you pass that on?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot to it. There\u2019s luck. Wacky things happen. You get hit, you break something. I\u2019ve had that. You still have to prepare and build yourself up to take the hits and have longevity. When they invest money in you, the biggest thing is to be available. I pride myself on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re barely ever 100 percent. We all battle through stuff. Do the right things away from the rink so your body can handle what it has to handle on the ice. That\u2019s hockey. I learn every year how to eat better, what my body needs, how to structure the program. Fine-tuning, even 15 years in. Little things after games, before games. Boring things every day that add up until they become habit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Captaincy and Message to the Fans<\/p>\n

Q: Have you been approached about the captaincy? Any idea what the team is thinking?<\/p>\n

Coyle: Not a clue. No, I haven\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Q: If you were offered it, how much of an honor would it be?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cIt would be a great honor. I\u2019m going to bring what I bring no matter what. I feel more confident every year to be a little more vocal, use my voice. Fifteenth year in the league. I have to bring what I\u2019ve learned and experienced. It doesn\u2019t matter if I\u2019m wearing a C, an A, or nothing. I\u2019m going to lead because I have to. I\u2019m in that position.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo get a C would be a huge honor. That\u2019s how your peers, coaches, and management view you. I\u2019d be very honored. That\u2019s not going to change whatever happens. I haven\u2019t heard much. I\u2019m rolling with it. If it happens, great. At the end of the day it\u2019s a joint leadership group. It can\u2019t just be one guy wearing a C.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: What\u2019s your message to the fans coming into the year?<\/p>\n

Coyle: \u201cI could sit here and say anything. We\u2019ll prove it. That will speak more volumes than anything I can say. I love playing here. We love playing here. I love what the fans bring. Columbus is a great place to play hockey with this fan base. No one is hungrier to make the playoffs than these fans and this city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSame for us. We missed the playoffs last year. We\u2019re just as hungry as everyone coming into this building and everyone watching from the couch on the road. We\u2019re all in it together. We want to give these fans what they deserve and what they want, because we want the same thing. We\u2019re on the same team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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