By Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter @adbblue
On Wednesday night in Lewiston, Maine, a gunman took the lives of 18 innocent people and injured 13 more. A senseless act of violence that leaves the New England Commonwealth devastated.
Prior to the Boston Bruins vs. Anaheim Ducks game at TD Garden Thursday night, the organization made yet another classy gesture. Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman brought out a jersey with the number 207 on the back, which is the city’s area code, as well as Lewiston Strong on the top and bottom.
Just before the National anthem, a moment of silence was taken, and a graphic of the state of Maine was shown on the jumbotron. There was a heart placed at the location of where Lewiston is on the map.
This was a tribute to the victims and community who suffered from this horrible tragedy. The team also showed support to Lewiston by using blue stick tape during pregame warm-ups. This is because the town mascot’s name is the Blue Devils.
Players also wrote messages over the stick tape that read “LEWISTON, ME” and a heart drawn next to it. This hit Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery and goaltender Jeremy Swayman especially hard, as the two both played their college hockey at the University of Maine.
Montgomery touched on the tragedy after the morning skate. “I personally spent four wonderful years at the University of Maine, and I know how great the culture is in that state, and I know how great the people are, and my heartfelt sympathy for everybody that’s impacted.”
It’s events like this that remind us that, at the end of the day, hockey is just a game. There are far more important things in life, and many people take that for granted. That being said, hockey is also a tool; it’s a platform. And it gives players, coaches, and everyone within an organization the opportunity to uplift those who need it.
This is yet another example of how classy the Bruins organization is. They always go above and beyond to support the New England community when needed. The team’s culture has been widely regarded as one of the best in the league for a long time. That is what Bruins fans should take pride in most while rooting for their hockey team.
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