Boston Bruins

‘Having close to a packed Garden is going to be special’: Bruins excited to have fans return at near capacity

The Bruins get the added boost ahead of Game 1 in their second-round series against the Islanders.

Bruins fans will be in nearly every seat in TD Garden starting with Saturday's Game 1 against the Islanders. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

By Conor Roche

2 minutes to read

As the Bruins enter the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, they’ll also enter a full TD Garden for the first time this season.

With Massachusetts lifting all COVID-19 protocols on Saturday, TD Garden will be at near capacity for Game 1 of the Bruins’ series against the Islanders.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy is eager for his team to finally play in front of a full TD Garden again.

“There is some anticipation. It’s been a long time, so you kind of forget what it’s like,” Cassidy told reporters Friday. “I thought it was getting loud here with 25 percent capacity, so I can only imagine a full house. It’ll be nice to have everyone back in there. It’ll be good for all sports to get back to your typical home-ice advantage in terms of the crowd being behind you and creating energy. So all of that is going to be great. Like I said, it’s been a long time.”

Dating back to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bruins have played games with very few fans in the arena. Zero fans were allowed to attend the playoffs in the league’s bubbles last season. The Bruins didn’t play in front of fans at home this season until March 25, when 12 percent capacity was allowed. They bumped the capacity limit to 25 percent on May 10. Coincidentally, both of those games were against the Islanders.

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Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron admitted that he had grown used to not having fans in the arena. However, he’s “really excited” for them to be fully back.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Bergeron said. “It’s been a while. I’ve said this before: I think from the bubble to the start of this season, you adapt and you adjust to not having fans. In a way, you almost forget how special it is to have them.

“So when we went up to 12 percent and now 25, it makes such a big difference. The impact they have on the game, the energy you try to feed off, is amazing. Having close to a packed Garden is going to be special.”

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Like Bergeron, Cassidy was also used to the empty or near-empty arenas by this point. Still, Cassidy believes that fans returning to arenas at near capacity is good for everyone.

“It’s probably going to be a little shocking at first, to be honest with you,” Cassidy said. “You’re just so used to quietness throughout the games, so it’ll be a good thing for everybody in any building. Crowds are obviously there for the home team, but I think they can also get the visiting team into it. I think it’s just good for the game, period.”

Saturday’s Bruins game marks just one of the few sporting events this weekend that will show a return to pre-pandemic normalcy. Fenway Park will return to full capacity starting with Saturday’s Red Sox game against the Marlins. Vaccinated fans won’t be required to wear a mask. While the Celtics will only play in front of a 25 percent capacity crowd for Game 3 of their series against the Nets on Friday, they’ll move to a near-capacity crowd for Game 4 on Sunday.

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