Chris Krenn
Oct 16, 2021
When the puck hits the ice on Saturday night in Providence, it will mark the first P-Bruins regular season game at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in 587 days. With three training camp exhibition games in the books and the start of the regular season approaching, there’s plenty of excitement and optimism around the locker room.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the AHL to pause the 2020-21 season on March 12, 2020, the P-Bruins were riding a franchise record 12-game winning streak with the playoffs just around the corner. The season was officially cancelled two months later as the league shifted their focus on how to make a 2021-22 season possible.
After the details were ironed out, the P-Bruins 2021-22 campaign opened in February of 2021 with an entirely new look for the season. The full schedule was just 25 games, with 24 of those games being played against either the Bridgeport Sound Tigers or the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Along with playing the same two teams, game after game, Providence essentially never had an actual “home” game. As the pandemic rolled on, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center was first used as a COVID-19 testing site and then a vaccination site shortly after. As a result, Providence played all home games at New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts, roughly 45 miles away from the Dunkin’ Donuts Center.
Now the 2021-22 season is set to begin with “The Dunk” at full capacity and a 76-game schedule on the docket. Providence enters the season with high expectations after two consecutive Atlantic Division titles over the past two seasons. Fans in attendance on Saturday will see the unveiling of two new banners that will be hung in the rafters.
“Last season was unique,” said Providence Bruins forward Cameron Hughes. “I don’t think we’ll ever see something like that again. We were pretty lucky to get games in any way and we’re all just…
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