TD Banknorth Garden plans to light up the night sky

TD Banknorth Garden is going green - leprechaun green - and if the city skyline starts shimmering with a golden haze around 10 p.m. tonight, it's not the Northern Lights, but the garden's new exterior lighting system celebrating a Bruins victory.

According to garden officials, the arena can now be fully illuminated with team colors at night - leprechaun green for Celtics home games and Bruins gold for when the local lads play host to NHL rivals. And when Celtics or the Bruins win a home game at night, the system has the capacity to celebrate that victory by creating a special wave effect, a garden press release said.

(Photos courtesy of TD Banknorth Garden)

So if the plucky B's should prevail over the Phoenix Coyotes in tonight's hockey game at the garden, locals scanning the night skies should see the debut of this special wave effect.

The new exterior lighting system will also get a workout for other garden events. For example, at an upcoming Fleetwood Mac concert, the joint will be lit up with a tie-dye color scheme, garden officials said.

According to the garden officials, the new lighting system isn't just about special effects; it's also about saving energy.

"We are pleased to display our new lighting look that will help us highlight TD Banknorth Garden events, and celebrate our home teams all while representing an important step in our environmental commitment to lower energy use - a win-win situation," John Wentzell, president of TD Banknorth Garden and Delaware North Cos. - Boston, said in a statement. "Befitting our status as the city's main sports and entertainment venue, the new system is an exciting way to enhance and celebrate our teams' success, particularly as optimism builds for the Bruins, Celtics, and Blazers playoff series' ahead. Our commitment to reduce our environmental footprint led us to evaluate and deploy LED lighting technology that saves energy, reduces maintenance costs and provides better light quality."

"TD Banknorth Garden worked in collaboration with Port Lighting Systems of Seabrook, N.H., to specify, design, and install the new lighting technology and appearance," the press release said. "Philips Color Kinetics provided the preferred light fixtures for this project."

The TD Banknorth Garden will be illuminated nightly at dusk and automatic controls will turn off the lights at 2 a.m., the garden press release said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)