Charlie Coyle never met Bill Belichick over his six seasons with the Bruins — nor in his childhood years while growing up in Weymouth.
But like many lifelong Patriots fans, the Bruins centerman admitted that the sight of Belichick walking off the podium at Gillette Stadium for a final time on Thursday was a tough pill to swallow.
“You kind of take it for granted, when these good things come to an end,” Coyle said of Belichick’s departure from the Patriots on Thursday. “But it’s sad. It feels like it affects me, and I’m just a fan.