What Fans Can Expect When They Return To TD Garden For Bruins, Celtics
BOSTON (CBS) - The TD Garden has new safety changes in place fans will notice when they arrive on Thursday for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began. The Bruins will be the first Boston team to have a home crowd cheering them on in over a year when they welcome approximately 2,200 fans inside the arena.
TD Garden President Amy Latimer says her team has been working toward this day since last March, watching what other arenas locally and around the country are doing.
"We're just ready to get started, we just want to get the first event under our belt," Latimer said.
You will use your phone for everything from parking, to the Play It Safe wellness app, to tickets, concessions and souvenirs. You can even scan a QR code at your seat to get the lineups.
Seating is socially distanced in pods of two or four and based on where your seat is, you will have an assigned "neighborhood", a specific part of the Garden that has everything you need.
Masks are a must when you're not eating or drinking but Latimer doesn't expect it to be a problem. "They want to be there, they are coming and they have made the effort to come to the game, they are going to keep their mask on," Latimer said.
The Garden will be thoroughly sanitized before and after events and the air filtration system was just upgraded during the Garden expansion two years ago.
A new experience in a lot of ways to keep you safe, but in the end, you're just going to hopefully watch your team win.
"Of course it's going to be fun!" Latimer said. "Because you are going to be able to be live and see the Bruins and the Celtics games, which, they've been on their couches, they've been at home, I think they are going to be excited. I think the players are going to feed off that energy, I think the fans know that."
The Bruins, who have had their last two games postponed because of COVID issues, have been cleared to practice and play on Thursday against the Islanders.
