PHILADELPHIA — It was less than six minutes into the first period of the Flyers-Lightnings game at Wells Fargo Center when things got strange. Most of the arena's lighting, giant video board and sound system were turned off due to a transformer malfunction as the Flyers controlled the puck on their offense.
The referees failed when the Flyers took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Bobby Brink. After speaking with head coaches and goalkeepers, it was determined that the playing surface was lit well enough for play to continue, while the only sound came from the 18,647 fans in attendance.
“(The officials) asked me if you wanted to play. I did,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “And (Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper) did. We both decided, let's ask the goalkeepers. We are 1-0 up at this point. I don't think (Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson) was too crazy (about it). I’m really not giving up – no matter what it was, we’re up 1-0.”
The Flyers won 6-2.
During the first break, Phil Laws, president of the Wells Fargo Center, explained what had happened.
“During the first period, we had a transformer at the event level that blew. I don’t know why,” Laws said. “Externally, something inside the building. Electrical crews have removed that from the system so we can get the power back on that we briefly lost and are now working on restoring the systems, starting with the game-critical systems.”
Laws explained that while the HVAC system also failed, the ice was not affected.
“We have three chillers. We like running as a couple. Right now we're working on one that we think will get us through the night,” he said.
However, Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim felt a change at the ice level, both in the atmosphere and other conditions. He compared it to the recent Flyers-Devils game at MetLife Stadium on Saturday evening, February 17th.
“It felt like playing outdoors with the darkness around us,” Sanheim said. “It got really hot at first and the ice there started to get terrible as it warmed up.”
Tyson Foerster, who gave the Flyers the lead in the third period with a 1-1 draw and ensured their stay, said: “It was great in there, we felt like we were on the bench. The fans were great, but no music or anything. It was kind of weird.”
At the start of the second period, the ice surface was fully lit again, but it took half of the period before the sound system was available again, which was the case with the Rolling Stones' classic “Start Me Up” and a brief appearance afterward Public address announcer Lou Nolan.
The video board remained completely dark for the duration of the game, while only one of the two LED rings around the bowl was functional until the other came back to life in the third period.
“I thought we handled it pretty well,” defenseman Sean Walker said. “Definitely kind of strange. This is the first time it's happened to me, and I'm sure it happens to most others. Unique, but I think it ended up working in our favor.”
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(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)