As Vancouver Canucks fans wait for the puck to drop on the first game of the playoffs, those in the ticket business are warning that seats at the arena won't come cheap.
Kingsley Bailey of Vancouver Ticket and Tour told CTV News that demand for tickets to home games is way up, and no one wants to sell.
"My season-ticketholder suppliers who sell me tickets, they don't want to sell me tickets anymore. They want to go to the game. So, tickets are hard to come by," he said.
Bailey says tickets in the upper bowl for Wednesday's game at Rogers Arena are selling for about $200; to get in the lower bowl, fans will have to pay between $400 and $600.
Game 2 tickets are even pricier.
"Just because there's more demand, being a Friday, we're currently starting off at $219 for that game," said Scott Ayre of AllStar Tickets.
Better deals might be available online through Craigslist, but the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. is warning buyers to be careful.
"The way to look for a legitimate seller -- and its not going to be 100 per cent -- is to ask them for proof that they bought these tickets: Show me a receipt," said the BBB's Lynda Pasacreta.
If the prices at home are too steep, Prime Travel is offering airfare to Chicago, four nights in a hotel and game tickets for $2,550 flying out of Vancouver or $1,850 out of Seattle.
"I'm seeing a lot of interest for down the road. There are people thinking about round two. Where's round two going to be? Probably California; that looks like it will be even more reachable because teams like Anaheim don't sell out," the travel agency's Jaff Balabanov said.
The Canucks are encouraging fans to check with Ticketmaster on home game days because more tickets might be released at the last minute.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Shannon Paterson
