Boston a hockey town? Bruins' upcoming season could prove pivotal
Bostonians love their hockey. That much has been clear over the last five seasons, as the Bruins typically sell out every game at the TD Garden, and college and high school hockey also draw big crowds. But is Boston truly a hockey city?
Boston fans turn out in big numbers for all of the city's sporting teams. It's impossible to walk down the street without seeing someone in Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins or Patriots paraphernalia. The city is also spoiled with titles, as the four teams have combined for nine championships in the past 15 years.
But the city is generally regarded as Red Sox town first and foremost. Current Bruin Torey Krug, a new Boston resident, even named his dog Fenway after the city's iconic ballpark.
According to The Hockey Writers, however, Boston could become the Bruins' town pretty soon.
"Lansdowne Street has felt more like Elm Street recently as the [Red Sox are] plunging to their third last-place finish in the past four seasons within their division," columnist Joe Marraccino wrote. "It’s a nightmare that doesn’t seem to end anytime soon. That opens the door for the Bruins to reclaim, even cement, Boston’s place as a hockey town."
The Bruins have been the talk of the town in recent years as the team climbed from bottom-dweller to Stanley Cup champions in 2011 and perennial playoff contenders up until the 2014-15 season. When the Bruins failed to make the playoffs this past year, the team heard about it. Pressure forced major changes, and the team fired its general manager, traded away some of its biggest stars, and attempted to reload in order to work its way back into the playoffs.
The 2015-16 Bruins will be tasked with proving those moves paid off, and if they are successful, Marraccino suggested the team could take over as the most popular squad in a sports-crazed city.
"The 2015-16 season for the Bruins will be a telling one as to where the short-term future of the franchise is heading," Marraccino wrote. "One thing is for sure: Boston fans will be watching very closely."
(h/t The Hockey Writers)
