'It's electric': Vancouver gets hyped for Game 1 of the playoffs
![Canucks Vancouver Canucks players gather at centre ice to raise their sticks to the fans after defeating the Calgary Flames during their final NHL regular season home hockey game, in Vancouver, on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck](/content/dam/ctvnews/en/images/2024/4/21/canucks-1-6856195-1713741797261.jpg)
The Vancouver Canucks are about to play their first playoff game on home ice in nearly 10 years, and the hype in the city is real.
The Pacific Division title winners are going up against the Nashville Predators in round one, the first time the two teams will face off since the 2011 playoffs. The puck drops at Rogers Arena at 7 p.m. Sunday.
Head Coach Rick Tocchet had just one instruction for fans who will be in attendance—“be loud.”
“You can tell that people are getting into it,” he said at a media availability Sunday. “From what I’ve heard in the past, this building in the playoffs is one of the best rocking…I hear Vancouver’s very loud. For me, the message is be loud, encourage the guys.”
“I can’t wait to be in the environment and see the crowd going crazy here,” forward Dakota Joshua told reporters Sunday.
Playoff fever is also rising outside the rink. The SkyTrain will be transformed into a ‘Nucks fan club on home game days throughout the tournament, with team PA announcer Al Murdoch voicing the stops at select stations.
Restaurant and bar owners across the city are excited the Canucks are back in the playoffs – especially those with establishments within walking distance to the arena.
At Memphis Blues Barbeque House on Robson Street, management expects to see a rush of fans grabbing dinner on their way to the game – and a spike of takeout orders for people hosting watch parties at home.
“Today, we’ve got reservations for customers from Kelowna and Whistler who are coming to see the Canucks play, so it does help the business a lot,” said manager Jonatas Sardinha. “Robson Street gets full of fans as well which is very nice. It’s electric.”
He said he and his staff will be cheering on the Canucks – and hoping for a deep playoff run.
Local politicians are also getting on the hype train, with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim writing on social media that he’s “stoked” to see the Canucks back in the post-season.
“Wishing our players good luck as they rep our city!” he wrote.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West announced that city hall will be lit up in green and blue during Sunday’s game, and that the PoCo Community Centre is hosting a watch party.
Tickets going for hundreds on resale market
Any Canucks fan hoping to buy a ticket for Sunday’s sold out game at the last minute had to look to the resale market.
On sites like StubHub, four hours before faceoff, the cheapest available tickets were $299 each for seats in the corner of the upper bowl.
Ticket broker Kingsley Bailey of Vancouver Ticket and Tour Service was quoting people the same price, but said better seats near centre ice in the lower bowl were going for close to $700 per ticket.
The face value price of those seats in the upper bowl was $248 – not much less than the resale price on Sunday.
Bailey said he has been getting calls from people hoping to sell tickets but finding the resale value is not as high as they anticipated when they purchased them.
“They’re finding a challenge that they’re not getting the numbers they thought they would get,” Bailey said. “I’ve seen lower bowl seats advertised for $1,100. Nobody’s paying that.”
Based on his experience, he believes fans are waiting to see how the Canucks play in the first game before deciding if they want to spend hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on playoff tickets.
Canucks fan Spooner Derrick is visiting the city from northern B.C. and is considering buying tickets to either the first or second games of the Canucks series with Nashville.
“It’s been a while so it’s going to be a good one, I believe,” he said, referring to the nine-year playoff hockey drought at Rogers Arena.
In the end he decided not to spend the money for game one tickets, but said he might change his mind for the second game of the series on Tuesday.
“I will consider that. There’s a pretty good chance. I’ll wait and see what the outcome is tonight (Sunday) and then decide,” he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6975012.1721775341!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Canadian Olympic Committee offers 'heartfelt apology' after New Zealand accuses Canada Soccer of spying
The Canadian Olympic Committee offered a 'heartfelt' apology to New Zealand Football Tuesday after the New Zealand women's club accused the Canadian women's team of spying on them during a training session.
Jasper evacuees forced into B.C. to flee fires told to make U-turn to Alberta for aid
Thousands of wildfire evacuees forced from Jasper National Park into British Columbia along smoke-choked mountain roads Monday night were directed Tuesday to make a wide U-turn and head home if they needed a place to stay.
Pennsylvania state police commissioner reveals stunning details about Trump shooting
A local law enforcement commissioner revealed during a House Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday stunning new details about the security failures that led to the near assassination of Donald Trump, raising more questions for the embattled U.S. Secret Service.
Sunday was the hottest day ever recorded on Earth, scientists say
Sunday was the hottest day ever recorded, breaking global temperatures dating back to 1940, according to preliminary data from Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Polar bear at Calgary Zoo died by drowning following 'crushing' injury
The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has revealed the cause of death for polar bear Baffin last week.
Clip resurfaces of Vance criticizing Harris for being 'childless,' testing Trump's new running mate
Comments Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance made in 2021 questioning U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’ leadership because she did not have biological children have resurfaced, testing the young conservative senator in his early days campaigning as part of the Republicans' presidential ticket.
Premier says fine-tuning needed for alert system after miscommunicated Jasper evacuation timing
Alberta's premier says changes are needed to the province's emergency alert system after incorrect information was shared about the Jasper evacuation on Monday night.
'I had to go into hiding': Manitoba man still being harassed after charges into alleged human trafficking ring dropped
A man whose charges were stayed following an investigation into an alleged child sex trafficking ring in Portage la Prairie says his life has been ruined.
'Stars are aligning' for Bank of Canada rate cut: economists
The Bank of Canada is expected to deliver a dose of interest rate relief Wednesday when economists and market watchers predict the central bank will cut its overnight lending rate.