At long last, Flyers fans return to the Wells Fargo Center

Nearly a year after the first COVID-19 lockdowns went into effect, shuttering stadiums around the country, around 3,000 Flyers fans took their seats in the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday for the first time since the pandemic began.

The mood was festive, if a bit quieter than in pre-pandemic times: 3,100 people in an arena built for 20,000 can make only so much noise. The city’s recently relaxed rules about indoor gatherings still require arenas such as the Wells Fargo to admit only 15% of their total capacity. But returning fans said they were thrilled to be back, walking beneath a balloon arch that read, in giant letters, “Welcome Back Fans.”

As fans first entered the stadium, Gritty, the Flyers’ ubiquitous mascot, shot streams of confetti at them. A handful of fans started a “Let’s Go Flyers” chant for TV cameras. “I’m so happy,” one man exclaimed, to no one in particular.

“It’s fantastic — it’s like coming home again,” said Tom Hales, of Collegeville. He and his wife, Robbie, have been season-ticket holders for a decade. He had few expectations for the game, he said: “The Flyers are gonna win. That’s about it.”

Robbie Hales said she’d already been vaccinated, and Tom Hales added he was “taking all precautions whatsoever.”

Fans were required to wear masks at all times unless eating or drinking, and their seats in the stadium were marked with yellow seat covers, spaced several seats and rows apart to ensure social distancing. Arena officials said they were operating on a two-strike system to enforce masking regulations: People caught without a mask would first be offered a written warning. They would be kicked out for a second violation.

“Communication has been important — if you don’t prepare fans, it’s not going to work,” said Phil Laws, the general manager of the Wells Fargo Center. “There will be some fans that won’t make it to the end. Mask wearing is a key tenet of our safety plan.” He added that more than two dozen arenas have already opened around the country, and that the Wells Fargo had consulted with other teams on how to implement safety measures successfully.

Interviewed on their way into the game, several Flyers fans said they weren’t particularly concerned about contracting the virus. “I’m not concerned about no virus, not at all,” said Robert Bales, of Secane, Pa. He said he had bought tickets in the first seconds they were made available online. “I’m a pure Flyers fan — I’ve had season tickets for over 30 years,” he said.

Still, fans stuck to the arena protocols, with nearly all keeping masks on. Cases of COVID-19 in New Jersey, New York and Delaware have been increasing, and in Philadelphia, the case count seems to have plateaued. Even as he announced relaxed restrictions at the arena last week, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said that “the increasing number of cases in this region are reason to be concerned,” adding that everyone in the city should wear masks and limit interactions with others until more people are vaccinated.

Several fans who came to Sunday’s game said they’d already been vaccinated. “We wouldn’t risk it otherwise,” said Michelle Cho, a health-care worker and Washington Capitols fan from Baltimore who drove up with Oscar Monzon, a Baltimore firefighter who’s also been vaccinated.

Others said they were pleased with the arena’s safety protocols, which included hand sanitizing stations and cashless payments at food and merchandise kiosks. Many were season-ticket holders, who had been prioritized in ticket sales for the first game. The past year in sports fandom, they said, had been one like no other.

“It’s been a little up and down with emotions this year,” said Tracey Lynch, of Williamstown, N.J. “We’ve been doing a lot of shouting at the TV instead of in the stadium.”

Despite the festive atmosphere, the pandemic, and the new normal it’s created, were inescapable — between the signs reminding fans they wouldn’t be allowed in if they had COVID symptoms to the near-empty hallways and food kiosks. At commercial breaks, announcers encouraged fans to show off their masks for the arena cameras, and broadcast reminders of the new social distancing rules.

Still, the hallmarks of a Philadelphia home game are hard to shake, despite all that’s changed this year. In the game’s first period, some of the loudest chants, by far, were boos directed at the referee.