The Boston Bruins on Sunday arrived in Toronto, one of two bubble cities — the other being Edmonton — that’ll host games as the NHL resumes its 2019-20 season.
On Monday, Patrice Bergeron and Zdeno Chara were asked to share their first impressions of the Toronto setup, and neither Bruins star pointed out any real issues while getting acclimated to the unique environment.
“So far, so good,” Bergeron told reporters. “We got in late (Sunday) night, so we haven’t really been around too much. But so far, it’s great. No complaints. It was definitely lots of unknown, I guess, when we stepped on the plane and kind of excited. Looking forward to what’s coming next.”
“We got on the busses and transportation to the airport was a little bit different than what we’re used to,” Chara added. “But once we were on the plane, it just felt back to normal, just flying for kind of a long road trip. We checked in kind of late, I had some dinner and yeah, here we are.”
More Bruins: Watch Footage Of David Pastrnak Practicing Inside NHL Bubble
#NHLBruins captain Zdeno Chara and alternate captain Patrice Bergeron chat with the media during the team's first full day in Toronto: pic.twitter.com/DOf5HjXnAP
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) July 27, 2020
The Bruins, who are scheduled to face the Philadelphia Flyers in their first round-robin game Sunday, have Stanley Cup aspirations, which would require an extended stay north of the border. It’s possible, if not likely, they’ll run into a hiccup or two at some point, but it sounds like the team is starting off on a positive note as it prepares for an experience unlike any other.
Boston also will face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Aug. 5 and the Washington Capitals on Aug. 9 as part of its Eastern Conference round-robin slate.
Chara was among three Bruins players who did not participate in practice Monday, with Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase being the others. The Bruins captain is awaiting the results of his COVID-19 test performed Sunday, and the team held him out as a precaution at the direction of medical advisers.
