Outdoor NHL game 07-08

[VECHKIN08 0]

Personally I think this is an awesome idea...If I'm lucky I'll get a chance to go to this. NHL hasn't officially announced it but it sounds like it's going to happen.

Outdoor Game

[LkptTiger 1]

There has been a lot of talk about this game in the WNY area for a number of months now - good to see it'll be finalized.

My brother works as a tech at Northtown Lexus - a dealership which happens to be real tight with the Sabres organization. I'll be at the game, and thanks to my sibling, the ticket(s) aren't going to cost me a dime.

[34Strudwick 0]

There has been a lot of talk about this game in the WNY area for a number of months now - good to see it'll be finalized.

My brother works as a tech at Northtown Lexus - a dealership which happens to be real tight with the Sabres organization. I'll be at the game, and thanks to my sibling, the ticket(s) aren't going to cost me a dime.

[Rustpot 1]

great seats. First row will cost you $200 and you're still 20 yards from the glass

[bdj 0]

Your paying for the experience not the game.

[Rustpot 1]

Granted, but it's going to be sad when they hardly manage to sell 50% of the seats. The game will suck for the players, not having the crowd atmosphere at the glass (though if they fill it, it would kick ass), and I doubt that the Sabres usually hosting 18,000 can host 73,000 fans. Unless the seats are $1 or they have different plans.

If the Sabres sold every seat at HSBC for an average of $50 they'd have to average $12 a seat and fill that stadium.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

PLENTY more than just Sabres/Pens fans will be there. I guarantee you have people from all over the states/canada at that game. The game is for fans of hockey, not just fans of the respective teams. I foresee no problem selling that place to capacity.

[precursor 0]

I give it an hour before it sells out. definitely nothing more than single seats left after the first day though.

[precursor 0]

Granted, but it's going to be sad when they hardly manage to sell 50% of the seats. The game will suck for the players, not having the crowd atmosphere at the glass (though if they fill it, it would kick ass), and I doubt that the Sabres usually hosting 18,000 can host 73,000 fans. Unless the seats are $1 or they have different plans.

If the Sabres sold every seat at HSBC for an average of $50 they'd have to average $12 a seat and fill that stadium.

man you were soooo wrong :P

Sold out in far less than an hour.

I got me 4 tickets though ;)

[Rustpot 1]

i can understand going for the experience, but I would never watch a game with binoculars. The cheap seats at NHL arenas are the furthest I would ever go.

how much were the tickets, and where are they at?

[willy0314 0]

tickets ranged from $10 to $200 plus. They went on sale at 10am and were sold out by 10:20.

You can get tickets on stub hub, but start sawing off your arm and packing it in ice now.

[precursor 0]

I had a hard time getting all the seats I needed together, so we ended up getting quite a few pairs between our group of friends. I got seats in 138 Row 34 for me and my fiancee ($90 each), and I got 201 Row 8 ($55 Each) for my friend. My other friends all also got seats in the $90 ring of the stadium.

I think if your seeing this as "just another hockey game" and are really more worried about how "good the seats are" then your not getting the appeal of this game.

[cmvondran 0]

This would be fun, but 200.00 is kinda hard to swallow

[Rustpot 1]

Why is the blue ring $60 and the green ring $90?

I suppose you're right. While I know it's not just another game, I'm not really sure what huge appeal there is. Going to an NFL venue to see an NHL game seems kind of like heresy.

Unless it snows or you get something more than a bad view of the game I don't see why the tickets are that much.

Could you try to convey the allure of going to this please?

[precursor 0]

Apparently the blue ring is $60 because its at a fairly flat angle, whereas the $90s are a bit more steep and probably offer a better view. The red area listed as Obst. are obstructed view seats that won't be sold.

I guess the allure for me is something like this.. its the team you grew up watching, playing infront of 4x as many fans as normal, in a place where you grew up watching your favorite football team. With Buffalo's weather, anything can happen, so there might be something *interesting* that could take place - just like when me and my friends were kids playing pond hockey. With it being a holiday, probably close to 100,000 people will be filling the parking lots tailgating, cooking, partying, and celebrating the game and the day.

hell, even if your team shits the bed, its going to be a memorable experience that 99% of hockey fans from most cities will likely never get the chance to even attend. So, I guess a $39 ticket would have accomplished all of that, but for the extra $50 to see the game (it could be a good one), then why not?

Last point - as for the ticket prices, they are inline with a hockey game at any other venue. The $200 seats are club level, in a nice warm box. Even the worst seats in the playoffs are $100 at a minimum. I figure at $90 I will still be able to see fine, and definitely won't need binoculars.

[LkptTiger 1]

I guess the allure for me is something like this.. its the team you grew up watching, playing infront of 4x as many fans as normal, in a place where you grew up watching your favorite football team. With Buffalo's weather, anything can happen, so there might be something *interesting* that could take place - just like when me and my friends were kids playing pond hockey.

Ugh - with all the Sabres fans in the area so excited to be able to see their team play in this kind of game, I'm feeling a little left out. But, it's good to know that I won't be the only one on this boat -

Sure, the fact that it's a Sabres/Pens match-up will dictate that the crowd will be largely comprised of Buffalo and Pittsburgh fans - but the nature of the event is also going to pull a lot of hockey fans from other markets into the area for the game.

Personally, I don't care much for the Sabres, and wouldn't buy a ticket with the sole draw being The Crosby Show - but I'm a hockey fan who happens to be conveniently located in the area. There's no way I'm missing something like this. I actually passed on the free ticket(s) my brother would have been able to get me (which, I believe he said, would have been in a suite) and instead went-in and bought some with a few buddies. This is special because of the setting - in order to fully take advantage of that, I want to be outside (whatever the weather) with my friends who are true fans of the game; not in a suite with a bunch of people who got the tickets for free and are only in attendance so they can socialize.

As long as we're talking about the weather - I have no idea what to expect. The last few winters here have been pretty mild (with the exception of a few isolated events - who in this area is going to forget the storm last October?). I'm hoping for a really cold, sunny winter day - but I'm not expecting one. The way things have gone recently, I wouldn't be surprised if it was forty-degrees and rainy.

[theone96 0]

If you can't understand the allure of this game, then you may not played pond hockey in freezing cold weather. Fingers freezing as you lace up the skates, even worse as you unlace them. May need to skate around with a shovel to get the snow off the ice.

I was hoping for a road trip from Detroit, but no tickets so now I will be watching it on TV. I was actually looking forward to the cold weather. I think this is good for hockey in general.

[odp 0]

Great timing, NHL. Thank goodness there aren't any other huge sporting events to contend with, like Bowl games.

[willy0314 0]

actually bowl games are the entire point. Thats why its on at 1pm. For the majority of College football, it is only watched by people who are into college football. The exception is the new years holliday. Every one is stuck inside the house, and everyone knows theres a game on...thats why the ratings jump so high, because people who don't normally watch NCAA football turn it on just because....

Now all these same people are going to be stuck in the house, flipping around on the TV, and hearing about this hockey game for months before hand. The ratings will be crazy simply because people who don't normally watch hockey will flip on the game and watch it just because they are stuck in the house on a holiday when everyone watches sports just because its on.....

[Cobra2717 0]

I got my tickets. First row of the upperdeck, center ice. Cant wait. Hopefully it will be a cooler winter, i want to be wearing 9 layers for this game, not just a hoodie.

[Blume 0]

i got my 4 tickets sec 106 row 17...if anyway wants to buy tickets that doesnt have ne check with me closer to the game cause i think the other two seats i have for my friends may not be able to come in to town