Jon Cooper wants more fans in Bell Centre for Cup Final

Jon Cooper wants the Bell Centre in Montreal to be able to host more fans for the upcoming Stanley Cup Final. James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Lightning HC Jon Cooper wants Bell Centre capacity increased for Stanley Cup Final

By Erin Walsh | Last updated Jun 26, 2021 1:04 PM ET

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper wants to see Bell Centre increase capacity for the Stanley Cup Final when his team travels to Montreal for Game 3 next Friday.

Jon Cooper wants Bell Centre capacity bumped for the Final: "I hope they let more fans in there. The fans of Quebec, they haven't been back since '93, they deserve to watch their team play. I hope they get in there because ... this game was meant to be played in front of fans."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 26, 2021

The Canadiens were allowed to have only 3,500 fans for their semifinals matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights. Bell Centre can hold more than 21,000 fans.

It's unclear if the Canadian government will allow the Canadiens to increase capacity. However, there's a solid chance they'll be able to do so as Montreal is the first Canadian team since to reach the finals 2011, when the Vancouver Canucks fell to the Boston Bruins in seven games.

The Lightning are no stranger to challenging environments. They just played in one of the NHL's most difficult arenas at Nassau Coliseum and came out victorious. So, if they do increase capacity at Bell Centre, the Bolts will be ready.

Erin Walsh

Erin Walsh is a Boston sports fan through and through. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bridgewater State University and currently is in pursuit of her Master's Degree in Journalism from Northeastern University. Follow her on Twitter @ewalsh90

More must-reads: