By Charlie Coyle had a dilemma on his hands last August. With him and his then-fiancée, Danielle, set to be married in Minneapolis, he had to decide what to do with their pair of golden retrievers, Bodie and Gracie. Flying wasn’t going to be an option for both pups.
As such, the only alternative — beyond keeping them in Massachusetts for the upcoming nuptials — was a 1,400-mile drive halfway across the country. Ultimately, it was a no-brainer for both Charlie and Danielle. “In the end, we figured we’d regret not having them with us on our special day — they are our family,” Coyle said.
“Danielle and I always love looking back on our pictures and videos from that day and seeing our pups with us, even though my suit and her dress may have caught some dog hair. Well worth it!” It stands to be a busy 2023-24 season for the 31-year-old Coyle, following the retirement of Patrice Bergeron and the uncertain future of David Krejci. But it’s also been an eventful offseason for both Charlie and Danielle Coyle, especially with both expected to add to their family when they welcome their first child later this summer.
Earlier this summer, Coyle was also appointed as “Hometown Treat Officer”, alongside Bodie and Gracie. Coyle chatted with Boston. com via e-mail about his new partnership with Wellness Pet Company, as well as the importance of being a pet parent even amid the hectic schedule of a pro athlete.
COYLE: “We welcomed Bodie to our family back in 2019 and Gracie in 2021 – and haven’t skipped a beat since. ” COYLE: “Yes! My family had a mixed breed growing up for some time when we were younger — we were always interacting with dogs from other family members and friends so the love for the pups was always there. ” COYLE: “Bodie and Gracie will go outside about 3-5 times a day, depending on the weather and our own schedules.
My wife Danielle and I will swap taking them out first thing in the morning. Usually, it’s a quick bathroom break and back to the house to eat breakfast. ….
I’ll then go to the rink for practice and take them out to play at the park and/or a long walk with Danielle if she’s not busy. Once we get back home, we hope they both take naps but more times than not they are just looking to play some more — they are super active and eager to play. “If it’s bad weather outside, we will pull out their favorite toy to get out some energy.
We’ll take them out to play another time either before or after dinner. If we’re relaxing at home and time slips past 5:30 p. m.
, we’ll start getting the eyes from the dogs, signifying that we are forgetting to feed them their dinner. As long as they’ve been outside past 8 p. m.
we won’t have to take them out for another bathroom break. ” COYLE: “One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a pet parent is to make the most of time spent together when we have it. … We also just bought a house in Cape Cod, so we are excited for the dogs to have their own backyard to run around in for the summer.
“They both absolutely love swimming, so they’ll get a ton of exercise which is right up their alley. They’re used to being city dogs, so the change up to their own house with more room to run around will be like heaven for them. “ COYLE: “Work-life balance is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as a professional athlete.
Bodie and Gracie are my safe spaces — I always look forward to time spent with them and am eager at the end of the day to get home from the rink and take them out to play. They help take my mind off of my job and mentally reset. Watching them both play together gives me so much joy.
“The athlete in me loves to say there’s no such thing as the offseason and I definitely recognize the importance of maintaining a healthy routine for myself and my dogs. We get outside three to five times a day for a quick walk or to play at the park and try our best to serve their meals around the same time each day. It keeps them happy and healthy, which certainly makes our time spent together that much better.
” COYLE: “We live close to Charlie McAvoy and his Frenchie, Otto, as well as Matt Grzelcyk and his golden retriever, Teddy. Bodie and Gracie run into Otto and Teddy from time to time. We have some fun play dates at the park with Teddy, too.
It’s so fun seeing all of the goldens run around and play together. ” COYLE: “I’m going to have to toss up a tie between Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort. Matt is always chatting and showing pictures and videos of Teddy whenever we are at the rink or on the road.
Derek probably has the most Instagram posts of his basset hound, Darla. However, if you ask those guys, they might say that I talk about my two the most. And I won’t deny it!” COYLE: “I’m proud to be known as a Boston athlete on the ice, but I’m also a proud pet parent outside the rink.
This partnership with Wellness Pet Company as Hometown Treat Officer was an organic fit because Wellness Pet is all about the wellbeing of pets and pet parents, promoting healthy activity, nutritious food and mutual happiness. I’m proud to be a dog dad to Bodie and Gracie, who are a true part of our growing family, and it is important that I serve them the best food and treats to keep up with our active lifestyles. Whether we’re serving Bodie and Gracie their dinner, getting outside together or enjoying down time before team travel, I’m always making sure we treat them well with Wellness Pet to ensure a longer and happier life together.
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From: bostonglobe
URL: https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-bruins/2023/08/07/bruins-charlie-coyle-dogs-golden-retrievers-interview/
