With Thursday's announcement that the 2011 NHL All-Star Game is coming to the RBC Center on Jan. 30, the logical next question is, how do I get tickets?
Only Hurricanes season-ticket holders are guaranteed the chance to purchase seats to the game, and with the league claiming 6,000 to 8,500 tickets right off the top, a general public sale appears unlikely.
Full-season and 26-game season-ticket holders are guaranteed tickets to the All-Star Game and to the Saturday night SuperSkills competition scheduled for Jan. 29, although not necessarily in their regular seat locations. Holders of 14-game packages can buy tickets to either the game or the skills competition.
In Atlanta in 2008, packages to the game and skills competition cost a minimum of $195 and as much as $350.
After NHL commissioner Gary Bettman pointed out Thursday that only season-ticket holders would be able to buy tickets, Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos said, "Thank you!" to Bettman just loud enough for the microphones to pick up.
The potential ticket-sales boost is one reason the Hurricanes so avidly pursued this All-Star Game; attendance this season is down about 8 percent from last season and will be the lowest since 2003-04.
"There has never been a time when we didn't need an All-Star Game," Karmanos said. "I think every other owner in professional sports would tell you the same thing. It's important to us to build our season-ticket base, and this will help do it."
