“Go go, Black and Gold! Old time hockey, bar the door, clear the track, it’s all out war!” – Dropkick Murphy’s, Time to Go

Arena: TD Garden (1995)

Location: Downtown Boston on the Banks of the Charles River

Game Attended: December 11, 2010 vs. Philadelphia

Result: 2-1 Flyers in OT

Seat Location: Lower Level, Bruins 1x End

Overall Impression: Good Experience Ruined by Drunk Fans

I wish my memory of Boston’s TD Garden was looking up at the ceiling and seeing all the championship history of the Celtics & Bruins, with names like Bird, Russell, Orr, Esposito, and Bourque hanging from the rafters. But instead, I learned a valuable sports lesson: if you wear opposing colors into a building, be prepared to take some crap from the home fans.

I was a naive 17-year-old attending a Flyers-Bruins game with Mom and Dad, and it probably didn’t help that the Flyers pulled a 4-3 upset in the 2010 playoffs against the Bruins just months prior, but damn were the Boston fans giving me a hard time! The security guard at the metal detector jokingly wouldn’t let me in, people were cutting in line in front of me at the concessions stand before laughing it off and moving back. That I can handle, but what I couldn’t deal with were the drunk gentlemen next to us yelling and laughing at us and the very inebriated gentleman who didn’t care too much for my celebration of Mike Richards’ game-winning OT goal and punched me in the arm. So naturally, it wasn’t the best experience for me, but I’ll try to be unbiased for the remainder of this review.

You can’t deny the history in Boston, both on the ice and off. Boston is a great walkable city with tons to see, eat, and drink. In fact, if it weren’t for the punch and the alcohol-infused heckling, I’d probably rate Boston very high on my list. Fans are incredibly educated and passionate about their team. They’re loud, and they will let you know it. And it’s a great place to see a game if you don’t happen to be rooting for a rival team.

The arena is easy to get to, located in the heart of Downtown Boston and right on top of Boston North Station. It’s in close proximity to great bars and restaurants, and the Freedom Trail has all the history you could want out of a Boston trip. I enjoyed our trip to Boston, and obviously an OT win for my team makes for a great memory, but on this particular trip, the stupid and unfortunately physical actions of a couple drunk fans soured my opinion of this potentially great hockey arena. I’m willing to give the Bruins another shot, but for now, I can’t in good conscience rate them highly on my list based on my experience. First impressions last a lifetime, after all.

Building: 2.5 / 5

Atmosphere: 1 / 5

Neighborhood: 4 / 5

Overall: 2.5 / 5