Bruins fans shake TD Garden rafters
Owner pledges $100K to charity
BOSTON — Emerging from a moment of silence with a deafening cheer, fans at Wednesday night’s Bruins game paid tribute to the victims of this week’s Boston Marathon bombing with a stirring national anthem and a thunderous chant of ‘U.S.A.!’
The sold-out crowd at the first major sporting event in the city since Monday’s attack lined up for metaldetecting wands and random car inspections to get into the TD Garden. Once inside, they watched a sombre video with scenes from the race, ending with the words, ‘We are Boston, We are Strong.’
The players on the ice for the opening faceoff banged their sticks in the traditional hockey salute, drifting back off the blue lines so that they, too, could see the video. The Boston Fire Department Honor Guard brought out the U.S. flag to honour the first responders who rushed to the aid of the three killed and more than 170 injured by the twin bombs at the marathon finish line.
Longtime Boston Garden troubadour Rene Rancourt took his place for the StarSpangled Banner. But he sang only the first few lines, allowing the crowd to carry the tune while he pumped his fist to keep time.
The Buffalo Sabres, however, played spoiler. Buffalo tied the game with 24.4 seconds to play and then won 3-2 in a shootout.
It was an emotional return to normal life for the city, which has been dazed by the attacks on one of its signature and most beloved events. Monday’s scheduled Bruins game against Ottawa was rescheduled and Tuesday night’s Celtics game was cancelled outright.
But the Bruins said they were determined to help the city move on.
“You’re trying to live your life in peace and there’s people trying to disrupt that,” coach Claude Julien said after the team’s morning skate. “The people trying to live their life in peace are going to stick together.”
Players on both teams wore ‘Boston Strong’ decals on their helmets, and the Garden was illuminated in blue and yellow, the colours of the Boston Athletic Association.
Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs pledged $100,000 to The One Fund Boston, the charity established to help families affected by the bombing; the Garden, the NHL and the players association pledged $50,000 each. Ads on the dasher boards and the video screens gave the website address for the fund.
Bruins players and staff collected 80 tickets to the game to donate to the first responders.
Forward Brad Marchand raffled off his own suite for the team’s first playoff game, with the proceeds to go to the family of eight-year-old Martin Richards, who was killed in the blast.
All of the Bruins players said they feel safe at the arena and walking around the city.