Whew, talk about a rough ride—the Bruins had a season that felt like trying to skate uphill in flip-flops. For the first time since 2016, Boston’s playoff streak came to a full-blown halt, and fans everywhere were left clutching their jerseys in disbelief. Injuries hit hard and fast, with Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy both sidelined at the worst possible times. McAvoy’s 4 Nations Face-Off injury was the final straw in a defense that was already duct-taped together. Meanwhile, Jeremy Swayman’s preseason absence didn’t help his groove either, and that slow 4-6-1 start set a tone they just couldn’t shake. By the time coach Jim Montgomery was shown the door in November, it felt like the wheels had fully come off the wagon. And let’s not even start on the lack of scoring—Pastrnak was out here dragging the offense on his back like a hockey Hercules.

But hey—don’t toss the Bruins jersey into the fire just yet. There’s still a flicker of hope under all that heartbreak. With Swayman locked in for eight more years and a full training camp ahead, the goalie might finally rise to the occasion. The trade deadline looked more like a clearance sale, but what came in return? A stash of draft picks and young guns like Fraser Minten, which could be the foundation of a fresh Bruins era. And then there’s Pastrnak—still in his prime, still lighting it up, and still trying to lead this wounded crew back to the top. Through all the chaos, one thing’s for sure: the Bruins may have stumbled, but they’re already gearing up for a new climb… even if, for now, CEO Charlie Jacobs seems to be sidestepping what the Boston faithful have been begging for.

Ty Anderson—aka the hockey whisperer over at The Hockey Show on @985thesportshub—jumped on X and didn’t hold back. He straight-up quoted Jacobs saying, “It’s all going back into the hockey club. We’ve made our decisions. We will not be rescinding the ticket price increases.” Mic drop. Oh, and the reason for this sudden hole in your wallet? According to Jacobs, it’s all thanks to “security, parking attendants, and other expenses.” Basically, if you thought you were just paying for seats, surprise!

You’re also funding cones in the parking lot. Fans were already heated after missing the playoffs, and this? Just the cherry on top of a very overpriced sundae. But wait, the drama doesn’t stop there. A fan popped into a Bruins subreddit like, “I’m visiting Boston this week and decided to check out ticket prices for both the Celtics and Bruins games.” And what did they find? Absolute chaos. “The cheapest ticket for the Celtics is around $130, while for the Bruins, it’s about $180.”

Um, excuse me?! Even they admitted, “I always thought that basketball was more popular than hockey in Boston.” And then came the identity crisis: “As a Montrealer, I usually have a built-in dislike for the Bruins… but we’re not exactly fans of Toronto either.” Basically, this poor soul didn’t know who to root against more aggressively. Bruins ticket prices really got folks questioning loyalties and life choices out here. And honestly? There’s some data that backs all this madness up. The attendance stats? Still meh since 2 years.

Bruins’ stats reveal not much of an upgrade…

Even with all the loud chants and packed hype, the Bruins still couldn’t sneak into the top 10 for attendance last season. Yup—back in 2023–24, they were pulling around 17,850 fans per night, which honestly isn’t too shabby… but when you peek over at the Montreal Canadiens pulling in a wild 21,099 average, it’s like—woah, okay, flex much? And that’s not even including the noise from Boston hosting part of the 4 Nations Face-Off, which was supposed to feel like a big deal. Spoiler: didn’t move the needle that much.

Fast-forward to 2024–25 and the NHL was out here breaking records like nobody’s business—23.01 million fans total, which is a 0.6% bump from the year before. Even with fewer neutral-site games, the vibes stayed strong, and the league filled 96.9% of seats across the board. But even with all that energy, the Bruins kinda just coasted in the crowd category. Like, seven 4 Nations games brought in a chunky 135,977 fans, and Boston had three of those… but still, no dramatic jump. It’s like throwing a party and realizing half your guests only came for the snacks.

Meanwhile, other teams were out here growing like wildflowers. The Panthers hit 19K+ on average, the Caps rode the Ovi wave, and even the Utah Hockey Club came in hot—selling out every game in their 11,131-seat crib like it was a full-blown concert tour. And then there’s the Bruins—hosting big games, holding onto history, but still kinda chillin’ below the top crowd tiers. So yeah, fireworks and rivalries aside, the numbers didn’t exactly scream, “best show in town.”