During the 2024 NHL off-season, the Boston Bruins signed Nikita Zadorov to a six-year, $30 million contract. With the Bruins needing both help on the left side of their defense and more toughness, bringing in Zadorov just made perfect sense.
Zadorov played in his first regular-season contest at TD Garden last night (Oct. 10) against the Montreal Canadiens and had an excellent game. The 6-foot-6 defenseman recorded two assists on the night, much to the delight of the Bruins faithful.
Following the game, Zadorov revealed that he has had a big change of heart when it comes to playing at TD Garden. Here is what he said on the matter:
“The fans are awesome. It’s great. I used to hate playing here, but now it’s my home. I’m enjoying that. It’s been a long summer for them, so it for sure was exciting.”
🎥 Nikita Zadorov on his first regular season game with the #NHLBruins at @TDGarden: "The fans are awesome…I used to hate playing here. Now it's my home. I'm enjoying that."
Watch more postgame reaction ➡️ https://t.co/luGJUvDOXw pic.twitter.com/D1XYb9ut1y
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 11, 2024
It is no secret that Boston fans can make things tough for opposing players, so it is understandable that Zadorov previously did not enjoy playing at TD Garden. However, now that he is a Bruin and has the fans on his side, it is easy to see why his viewpoint has changed so quickly. He is already well on his way to becoming a fan favorite.
