NHL players have been living in a bubble for two weeks now as the league has restarted its pandemic delayed season.
Regina’s Jordan Eberle, currently in the Toronto bubble for the NHL playoffs, says being in a hotel the whole time has a different feel to it.
“It kind of has a World Championship feel to it,” said Eberle. “They’ve done a good job, the NHL, obviously having zero cases and giving us activities and things to do to stay busy.”
While it can get awkward at the hotels after a game, the New York Islanders forward says that most players try and keep it professional.
“We’re all professionals here, we’re all here for the same reason,” said Eberle. “Things obviously get a little heated on the ice, but guys are good in the NHL, they’re all pros and it stays on the ice.”
One noticeable difference about these Stanley Cup playoffs is the absence of fans in the stands, but Eberle says the NHL has done a good job of making the games feel as normal as possible.
“Once there’s something on the line and you have a playoff game to win and you’re trying to take over a series, honestly you lose yourself in just the game,” said Eberle. “You don’t really realize there aren’t fans other than maybe in warmup when you come out, and it’s a little bit quieter other than the music at the start of the game, but once you get into the rhythm of the game, it’s just hockey.”
After beating the Florida Panthers in their best-of-five qualifying series, Eberle and the Islanders head into the first round of the playoffs, where they will face either the Boston Bruins or the Washington Capitals.
