from Dave Poulin at the Toronto Star,

Falling almost a month later than the usual July 1 because of COVID-19 interruptions, it still had the same hollow feeling that it always has for me. People pack up anxiously, shouting “goodbye” and “have a good summer.” Some rush to catch flights, others just look to escape.

Somehow I’m always the last to do so; it just takes me longer.

Maybe that’s by choice. Maybe it’s just to enjoy what I’ve always loved doing a little bit more. I was often the last out of the locker room as a player, always as a coach. I’m not sure I even left the building on many nights as a manager. Now, in the world of media, I fully understand that I’ve been fortunate to have seasons to look forward to and reflect upon.

This was different in so many ways, since it feels like the last two seasons have run together. The craziness of the pandemic ensured that. Perhaps it was fitting that the same team won the last two Stanley Cups. We can just blend the Tampa Bay Lightning’s successes together.

Walking out of the studio Wednesday, thoughts of all the moves made filled my head. How it all might play out in the season ahead consumed me on the ride home.

Also, things will be close to back on track for the next regular season. That in itself is comforting. We had joked during the day about relearning the divisions, and how teams would fare after the necessary geographic challenges of the past season had restructured everything. And as always, my own thoughts went to the teams I work most closely with, and how they would be affected.

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