TD Garden Requiring Vaccination Proof At Boston Bruins Games

In a move that’s in line with other NHL arenas, TD Garden announced on Wednesday that they will require proof of vaccination at Boston Bruins games for everybody eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine that’s coming through the doors for events beginning at the end of September.

Per the Garden’s own release, Effective September 30, TD Garden, the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics will require all guests 12 years and older to present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 OR a qualifying negative COVID-19 test to gain access to the arena.

UPDATE: Effective September 30, TD Garden, Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics will require all guests 12 years and older to present proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 OR a qualifying negative COVID-19 test to gain access to the arena.

Learn more: https://t.co/IUOXW59U2u pic.twitter.com/GtU2SBl4Z5

— TD Garden (@tdgarden) September 22, 2021

The proof of vaccine requirement is something that seemed the natural progression after TD Garden reinstituted a mask policy for indoor events last month, but was also seemingly always in the plans for TD Garden along with most other among the 32 NHL rinks.

The date coincides with a Boston Bruins preseason game against the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden and comes after the news that 100 percent of the Boston Bruins organization has been fully vaccinated.

Patrice Bergeron addressed the issue on Wednesday while speaking with reporters and indicated there didn’t need to be any special conversations to get all the B’s players on the same page when it came to getting vaccinated.

“Nope. There were no meetings about it,” said Bergeron, while answering a host of questions after Boston’s off-ice testing at the start of NHL training camp. “I think everybody was on board and did it organically, if you will, for their own beliefs and for themselves and their families.”

Around the league there have been some players, like most notably Zac Rinaldo in Columbus, that have been told to report straight to AHL training camp after refusing to get the vaccine, and several assistant coaches have also resigned after choosing not to get a vaccine mandatory for everybody across the league aside from the NHL players themselves.

The announcement from TD Garden will certainly garner some criticism from people actively looking to avoid a vaccine that’s been proven safe and very effective at saving people from hospitalization or death upon contracting COVID-19. But that’s a smile sideshow for an NHL organization, and a parent company in Delaware North, that’s clearly doing the right thing to keep their employees safe, keep their paying fans safe and keep everybody involved with the NHL and NBA healthy and safe as well during Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics.

Anybody that has a problem with that should probably just stay home and watch the games on television if they don’t want to join in the social contract for public health and safety that all are agreeing to by getting fully vaccinated.

Here’s more from the TD Garden release: the City of Boston public health order requiring all guests over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask at TD Garden, except while actively eating or drinking as permitted, will remain in effect until further notice.

These policies will continue to be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. Some events, seating locations and experiences may require additional health and safety guidelines as required by promoters, touring artists or league protocols. Please click through the event pages listed below for more information.