By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Boston Celtics aren’t the only team celebrating the upcoming reopening of a Brighton, Mass. training facility in the wake of Governor Charlie Baker’s Friday announcement. They’ll be joined by their Guest St. neighbors and TD Garden housemate, the Boston Bruins, as confirmed by team president Cam Neely’s statement released Friday evening.
“We are excited about Governor Baker’s announcement today and appreciative of all the work that has been done to allow us to resume practice,” Neely said in a statement. “Our staff has prepared in accordance with the NHL’s Phase 2 protocols and we will be ready to facilitate small group work once the NHL gives teams approvals.”
Like the C’s return to the Auerbach Center, Baker’s go-ahead will see the Bruins return to Warrior Ice Arena, which has been closed since Mar. 13, for small-group activities. But as noted by Neely, the Bruins will need approval from the NHL before they reopen their doors, as the league has not officially moved into Phase 2 of their Return To Play plan since pausing their season on Mar. 12.
In Phase 2, players will be allowed back into team facilities for six-skater, contact-free skating sessions. Coaches and off-ice personnel will not permitted on the ice with the players during these sessions and will not be allowed to have any face-to-face interaction with the players, though they will be allowed to watch from the facility itself.
The biggest rule that comes with Phase 2: Players must be tested 48 hours prior to returning to team facilities, and players will have to do daily temperature checks at home before making their way to the rink. Any player with a temperature over 99.5° F will not be allowed into the facility, according to the NHL, and players must wear masks when off the ice and not exercising.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who earlier this week detailed the specifics of the league’s plans to return later this summer, has said that the current plan is to move into Phase 2 in early June.