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Wells Fargo Center officials worried a year ago that a prolonged vacancy could endanger the arena

The pandemic forced everyone out of the building this time a year ago, which was a nightmare for officials in charge of security and maintanence.

Sunday's Flyers-Capitals game will be the first game at the Wells Fargo Center to include fans since the Sixers beat Detroit on March 11, 2020.
Sunday's Flyers-Capitals game will be the first game at the Wells Fargo Center to include fans since the Sixers beat Detroit on March 11, 2020.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer
    by Ed Barkowitz
    Updated 
    Published 

Around 3,000 spectators will be in the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday. It’s going to be quite a different vibe from a year ago when building executives were worried about the place literally burning to the ground the longer it sat vacant.

It was a common feeling with all large facilities throughout the country.

“Think of a building like this,” WFC general manager Phil Laws said. “All of its many electrical systems and concession stands, we just walked away from. It was a concern. We had to figure out how to get a couple people in here at least to keep an eye on the cameras to make sure nothing terrible was happening.”

Considering how 2020 went, it’s almost a surprise a catastrophe didn’t occur.

Laws said the reopening to fans, limited to 15% of the building’s capacity of 19,500, is allowing for 400 part-time workers to return, as well. Normally, a legion of 2,000 workers are buzzing through the WFC for games and other events.

“That’s one of the best stories of this,” said Laws, who said the workforce was around 150 for the games that did not include fans. “It’s one of the most gratifying things about this.”

» READ MORE: Simple mistake costs Flyers in 4-3 loss to Penguins

Czech, please

Jake Voracek notched his 500th career assist on Saturday, and his 405th as a Flyer. He’s fifth in team history, behind Bobby Clarke, Claude Giroux, Brian Propp, and Bill Barber. He’s fourth among those hailing from the Czech Republic, trailing only Jaromir Jagr, Patrik Elias, and Vinny Prospal. Only Elias hasn’t played for the Flyers.

This and that

  1. The Flyers are 3-0 in the second game of a back-to-back this season. This will be the first time they are traveling between games. They have eight more over the next two months.

  2. Sunday starts a four-game homestand where the Flyers are 6-2-2. Three of the games are against the Capitals (Sunday, Thursday, Saturday). They host Buffalo on Tuesday.

  3. Rugged (or some might say dirty) Capitals forward Tom Wilson will not play. He was suspended for seven games and fined $311,781.61 for a vicious hit Friday that sent Boston’s Brandon Carlo to the hospital. Wilson was not penalized for the incident, which was announced by the league late Saturday night.

  4. The Capitals had won four in a row before Friday. Wilson’s hit riled up the Bruins, who scored the next four goals and won in a rout, 5-1.