from Dugan Arnett of the Boston Globe,

An avid fan, the 25-year-old Brighton resident has sat through plenty of games, but this time something felt . . . different. He shifted in his seat. He shifted again. He tried — unsuccessfully — to get comfortable.

“I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it,” said Russo, who stands 5 feet 9 inches tall “on a good day.” “And then my buddy next to me goes, ‘These seats are way tighter, don’t you think?’ ”

As the 3-1 Bruins return to TD Garden for Saturday night’s home opener against the New Jersey Devils — the team’s first regular season game in the venue since last year’s Stanley Cup Finals — a normally joyous occasion has been overshadowed by a roiling controversy concerning fans and their fannies.

The replacement earlier this year of seats throughout the arena — as well as the addition of 500 new spots — has left many fuming over the suddenly cramped quarters. In recent days, countless fans have voiced their seat-size-related frustrations, filling social media with complaints about discomfort and nonexistent legroom and, in some cases, threatening to boycott the Garden altogether.

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