No playoff tickets for the public

[Dr. Lecter]

The Buffalo Sabres have made it all but official: They will have no playoff tickets left to sell to the general public this season.

A whopping 98.5 percent of season-ticket holders have put down a deposit for their playoff tickets, while 90 percent already have renewed for next year — more than six months before the start of next season.

And with the team’s own 14,800 season-ticket cap still in place for next season, Sabres officials believe there’s a decent chance they won’t be able to provide minipacks — which typically allow fans to buy tickets for five, 10 or 20 games.

Three weeks before the playoffs begin, Sabres tickets remain a redhot commodity in this town.

Let the eBay auctions and scalping of tickets begin.

More. (http://www.buffalonews.com/214/story/36297.html)

[THATHURMANATOR]

This is a good thing by the way....

[Earthquake Enyart]

Well, we don't have to worry about the Sabres moving....

[THATHURMANATOR]

Exactly. I don't want people to start complaining about this. If they want tickets get seasons!

[Dr. Lecter]

Cher and I got ours and are set for the playoffs!

[RockStar36]

While I pretty much won't be able to go to a game it's still good to see how well the tickets are selling. It will allow them to spend up to the cap (which hopefully goes up a little more and compensates for keeping Drury and Briere :pray: )

[chernobylwraiths]

Cher and I got ours and are set for the playoffs!

Don't tell them the other part. :D

[Michael82]

No mini-packs? WTF! :mad:

[THATHURMANATOR]

Get seasons man. I think it is great!

[Dr. Lecter]

No mini-packs? WTF! :mad:

They said min-pack holders would have the option of ordering seasons first.

[Dr. Lecter]

Don't tell them the other part. :D

:shutup:

[Earthquake Enyart]

No mini-packs? WTF! :mad:
Thurm, I knew Mikey would *****. :::

[SabreEleven]

:lolpoint:The Public & Mikey

[don137]

Roadtrip for the playoffs :redcar:

[THATHURMANATOR]

Thurm, I knew Mikey would *****. :::
So did I. I was just waiting for when.

[RockStar36]

Well there is some good news for everyone. If you can't get tickets to the playoffs in Buffalo you still might get to see the Sabres in person for the playoffs. As of today they would play Carolina. There should be plenty tickets available for those games.

[camelcowboy]

Its the price of being a good team. Now we need a long cup run with home ice to generate some dough.

[JD]

Wow. It just sucks though.

Beacause alot of the people who have seasons, especially in the lower bowl, by them just because they have money to throw around.. not because they love the sport. Sitting in the lower bowl is like listening to people cheer on a golf tournament.

Its just too bad we cant have us hardcore fans there to represent. Lets hope these fairweathered fans know how to get loud and rowdy.

[RockStar36]

If I remember correctly the HSBC crowd was pretty rowdy in the playoffs.

[JD]

Yeah, LAST YEAR. Tickets were made available to the public then. We had like 9,000 season tickets sold didnt we?

[Michael82]

If I remember correctly the HSBC crowd was pretty rowdy in the playoffs.
yeah, it was insane!

[Dr. Lecter]

One can be a real fan without going nuts an entire game.

Many of these people have been since or before you were born.

Regardless, I will point out again that I have my tickets, so I (and Cher, I assume) could not care less about the rest of you losers. :D

[JD]

One can be a real fan without going nuts an entire game.

Many of these people have been since or before you were born.

Regardless, I will point out again that I have my tickets, so I (and Cher, I assume) could not care less about the rest of you losers. :D
So you got dibbs on playoff tix why? I believe I deserve at least one seat :D

[BlackMetalNinja]

Exactly. I don't want people to start complaining about this. If they want tickets get seasons!

I agree it's a good thing, but not everybody can afford seasons but still want to be able to see some games, or they might not live in the immediate area.

Where I lived in NY it was almost an hour and a half to get to the arena... Not only could I not afford season tickets, I wouldn't be able to afford that drive 41+ times during the season, especially in winter months in Western NY.

[RockStar36]

Then you buy some tix from a seasons guy. I'm sure not all season ticket holders are going to be super greedy and screw over other Buffalo fans.

[SabreEleven]

Then you buy some tix from a seasons guy. I'm sure not all season ticket holders are going to be super greedy and screw over other Buffalo fans.

No, they sell them to Maple Leafs fans. :ill:

[JD]

Those of you who think its good live too far away to even attend a home game in the first place. You'll just watch it on TV as always.

[RockStar36]

Thurm lives to far away? I live to far away?

[BlackMetalNinja]

Those of you who think its good live too far away to even attend a home game in the first place. You'll just watch it on TV as always.

What the hell... you think it'd be better if we only sold 9,000 tickets and the team made no money again?

[JD]

I'm talking about playoff tickets! It's bull****. Ok but you wouldnt buy season tickets and drive there every game would you RockStar?

[chernobylwraiths]

One can be a real fan without going nuts an entire game.

Many of these people have been since or before you were born.

Regardless, I will point out again that I have my tickets, so I (and Cher, I assume) could not care less about the rest of you losers. :D

I concur!

[chernobylwraiths]

So you got dibbs on playoff tix why? I believe I deserve at least one seat :D

:rofl:

[RockStar36]

I'm talking about playoff tickets! It's bull****. Ok but you wouldnt buy season tickets and drive there every game would you RockStar?

No I wouldn't.

It does suck for us people without seasons but overall it's a good thing for the Sabres organization.

[chernobylwraiths]

Even as a season ticket holder, I can't say that it is the greatest thing to sell all the seats out to only season ticket holders.

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

As Rick Jenneret would say, Holy Mackerel!

The Sabres are already sold out for the playoffs, three weeks before they begin.

Says team spokesman Mike Gilbert, "We're just not going to have any tickets available for public sale."

How come? Here's why:

This year, the team capped season ticket sales at 14,800 seats.

Virtually all of those folks bought playoff tickets.

Season ticket holders then had the right to buy additional seats for the playoffs on a first come, first served basis.

The remaining 4,000 or so seats were quickly snapped up.

And that means that each of the 18,690 seats at the HSBC Arena were gone.

There was not even a single seat left in the "top shelf where momma hides the cookies."

Scott Brown: "Is this a good problem to have, or are you concerned that the public in general gets shutout?"

Gilbert: "Well that's one of the reasons why we held out some tickets to every home game this year.

"Unfortunately, that's not happening in the playoffs this year, but on the other hand we are rewarding the people who have been with us all year long, or the last couple of years, buying multiple games or season tickets.

"We can't please everybody and make them happy, but are we trying to be as fair as we can to help as many people as we can," he says.
http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=46387
or watch the video
http://www.wgrz.com/video/vplayer.aspx?aid=25079&bw=

[Bill Brasky]

Comes as no surprise, though I am somewhat bummed that I can't even get a minipack next year. I was hoping by then I'd be in town enough to make it doable... ah well. There's always the reasonable scalpers :ill:

Better than seeing the stadium half empty, though (hello, Ralph)

[THATHURMANATOR]

I agree it's a good thing, but not everybody can afford seasons but still want to be able to see some games, or they might not live in the immediate area.

Where I lived in NY it was almost an hour and a half to get to the arena... Not only could I not afford season tickets, I wouldn't be able to afford that drive 41+ times during the season, especially in winter months in Western NY.
Hate to say it but Tough break man. If you want to see the game in person buy seasons. If you can't afford seasons but want to hit up the playoffs there are ways to get tickets. Just make it happen. I do realize you don't live here so it is different.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Even as a season ticket holder, I can't say that it is the greatest thing to sell all the seats out to only season ticket holders.
Why not? If you ask me this will only drive demand! Everyone will want tickets and will be lining up in the coming years!

[Earthquake Enyart]

Hate to say it but Tough break man. If you want to see the game in person buy seasons. If you can't afford seasons but want to hit up the playoffs there are ways to get tickets. Just make it happen. I do realize you don't live here so it is different.
That's what ebay is for.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Exactly. Plus the can't afford it argument doesn't work for most. I know of at least 3 different groups of people that pooled money together to get seasons. This cut their costs and made it more affordable for all.

[PcA125]

Exactly. Plus the can't afford it argument doesn't work for most. I know of at least 3 different groups of people that pooled money together to get seasons. This cut their costs and made it more affordable for all.

That seems like a pretty reasonable solution to me... If you split it its just like buying one of the mini packs.

[SABuffalo786]

I doubt there won't be ANY. I take what the FO says regarding tickets with a grain of salt. Last May they told us not to camp out at the Arena for ECF tickets, but voila I stay overnight on Perry and the next morning I have tickets to Game 3.

Don't they usually hold about 100 or so "just in case" tickets for players families and that? I remember people saying they were able to get into Game 6 against Carolina that way.

Early round games I'll definitely go to the box office and give it a shot.

[Dr. Lecter]

There might be some returns from players, employees, other team, etc. but that is a limited #.

[Michael82]

The problem is that the season ticket holders are getting the playoff tickets for a HUGE steal. You'd have to be insane not to buy them. Even if you only go to one or two, you can sell the rest and easily triple your money. They should have sold the playoff tickets a little closer to the regular price. Think of all the money that they are not getting by selling the playoff tickets for season ticket price, tickets that would sell for a minimum of $93 per game face value. The season ticket holders are getting them as low as $30 or $40 per game. That's why 98.5% of the season ticket holders bought them. I'm surprised that it wasn't 100%.

[chernobylwraiths]

:$:

[Michael82]

On the other hand, they are also getting their season ticket holder money early and before any moves get made with the players. So it's a guarantee for them. So I do understand why they give the deal. :up:

[Michael82]

:$:
EXACTLY! BTW, I got confirmation that I was able to get playoff tickets from my mini-pack. It's only 1 seat, but still. :jig:

I also was informed that I will have the ability to get season tickets next year if I choose to.

[THATHURMANATOR]

The problem is that the season ticket holders are getting the playoff tickets for a HUGE steal. You'd have to be insane not to buy them. Even if you only go to one or two, you can sell the rest and easily triple your money. They should have sold the playoff tickets a little closer to the regular price. Think of all the money that they are not getting by selling the playoff tickets for season ticket price, tickets that would sell for a minimum of $93 per game face value. The season ticket holders are getting them as low as $30 or $40 per game. That's why 98.5% of the season ticket holders bought them. I'm surprised that it wasn't 100%.
I was under the impression that Season ticket holders had to pay more for playoff tickets than they did for regular season? They still got a discount but rates did rise. Am I wrong about that?

Again why complain about this? If you wanted the savings then pony up some cash at the beginning of the year if not then :stfu:

[THATHURMANATOR]

EXACTLY! BTW, I got confirmation that I was able to get playoff tickets from my mini-pack. It's only 1 seat, but still. :jig:

I also was informed that I will have the ability to get season tickets next year if I choose to.
Can you afford that on your Wegmans salary?

[Michael82]

Can you afford that on your Wegmans salary?
that's the thing I gotta decide. The key is that I won't be able to go to that many games. Maybe like 10-15. So I'd sell the rest and hopefully that would help cover the expensive price of the seasons.

[JD]

Mikey if you can get two seats I'll get seasons with ya :up: I have a few friends that could split prices with us. Me and you can call dibbs on all playoff tix :D

[Michael82]

Mikey if you can get two seats I'll get seasons with ya :up: I have a few friends that could split prices with us. Me and you can call dibbs on all playoff tix :D
Sweet, that would work for me. Only thing I would ask for is a big chunk of upfront money, so the charges aren't sitting on my credit card for too long.

[JD]

How much would it be for two?
SCORREESSSS!!!!! DANNY BRIERE!!!!!!

[chernobylwraiths]

I'll put this as mildly as possible. Too bad some of you idiots didn't want to do this after LAST season when Doc and I wanted to get more tickets together. But some of you had unreasonable expectations or didn't want to bother. Getting season tickets next season might be impossible as I have heard that they have capped off the amount of season tickets they will be selling AND there is already a waiting list for next year.

[gr8slayer]

Now if we could just get people to buy Bills tickets we'd be all set.

[JD]

Mikey had a minipack..so he should have no problem getting a season ticket or two. And I had no money around the time we needed it last year.

[chernobylwraiths]

Mikey had a minipack..so he should have no problem getting a season ticket or two. And I had no money around the time we needed it last year.

Not naming names, but there were close to eight people originally who were going in on it. We could have gotten four tickets. I don't think Doc even expected to paid right away either, just paid eventually.

[Dr. Lecter]

Hell, Cher paid me at the opener.

Then more of you could have met the text messaging seat hog.

[Michael82]

Not naming names, but there were close to eight people originally who were going in on it. We could have gotten four tickets. I don't think Doc even expected to paid right away either, just paid eventually.
I was interested, but it was taking too much time so I just went with the mini-pack. Plus I couldn't afford a season ticket.