Tyler Johnson revealed what it was like playing during the pandemic in the NHL‘s COVID bubble. Johnson said it was different from a mental aspect because of all the rules and uncertainty.
Many sports leagues were put on pause after the pandemic began in March 2020, which resulted in them finding alternatives to resume play. The NHL created a bubble to resume the season and Stanley Cup playoffs in Canada. Edmonton and Toronto served as the two hub cities and games were played with no fans in attendance.
The NHL did its best to pump in crowd noise and use the home team’s arena soundtracks to provide a familiar atmosphere. However, it obviously was not the same as playing in a sold-out arena.
During the period, there was still global uncertainty surrounding the transmission of the virus and efforts to stop the spread. As a result, players had limitations for what they could do and where they could go while in Edmonton and Toronto.
Tyler Johnson Reveals What it Was Like Playing in the NHL’s COVID Bubble
Tyler Johnson revealed what the living conditions were like for players in the NHL’s COVID bubble. He did not enjoy the experience but did note that Toronto had more for players to keep themselves occupied.
“You could eat and drink, that was about it. And that’s basically all guys did [in the NHL’s COVID bubble]. We played cards. [Edmonton’s] bubble was worse than Toronto’s. At least in Toronto, we had BMO Field, so we had the big soccer field. Guys were playing baseball and different things, so that was fun,” Johnson told Ice Guardians Podcast. “Once we got to [Edmonton], it was cold. They had nothing to do.”
“I remember we had a courtyard, and there was just a fence all the way around it. It looked like a jail. They had those metal barrels and they would put them on fire, and then we’d sit around the metal barrel at night,” he said. “We had a lot of wine, a lot of beer. That was it. I mean, it was terrible.”
For Johnson, however, the experience ended on a high note. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars in six games to win the Stanley Cup.
Johnson Reveals NHL Could Not Follow Through on Some Promises
Johnson also revealed that the NHL was unable to follow through on some of the promises made to players.
Many players hoped that their families could attend at some point during the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, the circumstances of the pandemic still made it difficult to do so.
“It was hard and then, you know, the NHL had said all the right things saying, ‘Oh, yeah, your family can come in,’ or, ‘They can come in the third round, come for the finals.’ They couldn’t come,” Johnson told Ice Guardians Podcast. “They said we could go golfing every day. We couldn’t go golfing. They had fly fishing on their little roster, and we couldn’t go fly fishing.”
Tyler Johnson Reveals What Life Inside the NHL’s COVID Bubble Was Really Like