Snowy Night in Chicago: Stars at Blackhawks

It was a snowy night to attend the Chicago Blackhawks game. But I managed to make the drive from my home to the United Center in less than 30 minutes. Rather than park for free on the street as I have many times this season, I used one of the parking passes I bought last year from Red Top Parking. I parked in their lot rather than brave the snow on the city streets.

Obtaining Tickets
I parked just before 7:30 pm. I expected to see more ticket scalpers walking towards the United Center box office than I did – but it had snowed all day. The scalpers who were there, either looking for tickets or did not have a single. Meaning I bought a standing room only ticket for $25 from the ticket office – even though seats were available. I bought SRO because my cousin, “Blackhawks Jim,” was at the game and I was hoping to sit with them in the first level.

Standing Room Only
Since I arrived just before the game started, I immediately went to the upper deck and found a seat for the first period. “Blackhawks Jim” texted me that there was a seat in front of them so I met up with him during the first intermission. The seat was free so I sat in section 120 row 10 for the 2nd and 3rd periods.

The Game
Tonight was Tony Esposito Heritage Night. I actually attended the last Tony Esposito Night on March 19, 2008 when the Blackhawks started celebrating the hero’s of their past.

This was the fourth shootout game I have attended this season. Kris Versteeg scored in the 5th round to win the shootout 1-0 and give the Blackhawks the win 4-3. Patrick Kane scored two goals in the first period as the Stars and Blackhawks traded goals throughout the game.

Last Minute Ticket: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks

One reason (of many) I never buy tickets ahead of time to games I am planning to attend is because you never know if you might get invited to the same game. On Sunday Blackhawks Jim called me since he had an extra ticket to the Blackhawks game versus Anaheim. However, since I was in Ann Arbor attending the Northwestern at Michigan men’s basketball game, there was no way I could get back to Chicago in time for the 6 pm start time.

However, that bad luck probably led to good luck tonight as I received the same invite. Blackhawks Jim texted me stating he had an extra ticket to the game. This time I was in town and was already planning to attend. Instead of having to negotiate with scalpers outside of the United Center, I already had a ticket.


The Game
Blackhawks Goalie, Cristobal Huet, shutout the Blue Jackets 3-0. Huet made a great save in the second period as he blocked a hard slap shot from Fedor Tyutin and kept the rebound attempt by Kristian Huselius out of the net.

Tonight’s game was the third straight Blackhawks game I have attended where they shutout their opponent and it is the fourth overall shutout I have seen this season. Both Huet and Antti Niemi have two shutouts while I am in attendance.

This was the Blackhawks last game at home for three weeks. They are heading on an eight-game road trip and return back to the United Center on February 3 to face the St. Louis Blues.

Standing Room Only: Red Wings at Blackhawks

My original plan for today was to fly to Pittsburgh in the morning, attend the Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers game and fly back to Chicago after the game. That plan was changed when the game, originally scheduled for 1:00 pm ET, was changed to a 4:15 pm ET kick off – meaning I could no longer make my 6:50 pm ET flight back to Chicago.

With my trip to Pittsburgh cancelled, I took in the best event in Chicago today – the Detroit Red Wings were visiting the Chicago Blackhawks for the first time since the Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.

Obtaining Tickets
Since I had not planned to attend the Blackhawks game, I had to research ticket prices on Sunday afternoon. The cheapest price on StubHub was $65 for a single and craigslist.org had a $40 Standing Room Only (SRO). Prices were much more expensive than I thought, but I should have expected that. However, high ticket prices did not discourage me from driving to the United Center without a ticket.

I parked for free on the corner of N. Hoyne Ave. and W. Warren Blvd. That location determined my “scalping tickets walk”. I walked to the corner of W. Madison St. and S. Damen Ave. before heading towards the United Center. Even though I had not visited the ticket office yet, I used $25 (face value for SRO) as my price point.

One scalper offered me a ticket for $80 (face value $75 if bought on the day of the game). Even though I now knew prices were close to face value, I went to the box office to see if SRO was available. SRO was available to I bought one – rather than try to match $25 on the secondary market (cheapest seat in the arena for the game was $40 face value).

Standing Room Only at United Center
As usual I was able to find a seat in the upper deck (face value of my seat was $60 on the day of the game) so I paid less for the SRO ticket and sat in a good seat.

It is difficult to watch the game from SRO if you arrive late. If you actually want to watch the game from SRO you need to either:

1) Arrive early and get a good spot in the SRO section above the third level.
2) Arrive late and find an empty seat in the upper deck (lower level if you are lucky).
3) Arrive late and enjoy the new SRO concession stand above the third level and watch the game on the flat screen televisions. This area is basically a bar (consider your ticket a $25 cover charge) within the United Center.

I am always able to accomplish #2, which is why I will continue to buy SRO tickets for sold out Blackhawks games.

The Game
The Blackhawks shut out the Red Wings 3-0. The convincing defeat may be a changing of the guard in the Central Division – the Red Wings have won eight straight division titles.

Doubleheader Day Game #2: Lightning at Blackhawks

After the Chicago Bears game, I took the CTA train back to our house to pick up the Ultimate Sports Wife, go to a holiday party near our house and then drive down to the United Center for the Blackhawks game – ah, the conveniences of living in the city.

Obtaining Tickets
When I called Blackhawks Jim to invite him and his wife to the Packers and Bears game, he said he had his usual four seats in the lower level for the Blackhawks game. So after a simple trade of tickets, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I were sitting in the same seats where the Vince Vaughn drama occurred a few weeks ago. Too bad tonight’s ceremonial first puck dropper, Jim Belushi, did not cause any drama.

The Game
The Blackhawks shutout the Lightning 4-0 – the second consecutive Lightning game I have attended in which they were shutout. Patrick Kane scored his 10th goal of the season to take the team lead.

A Fight Over Vince Vaughn: Avalanche at Blackhawks

There was drama both on and off the ice last night as the Chicago Blackhawks hosted the Colorado Avalanche.

Obtaining Tickets
Blackhawks Jim, who buys his tickets from a friend, invited me to the game. His tickets are in Section 120, Row 11 which was the only reason why I could participate in any off ice drama.

On Ice Drama
Before the game Blackhawks Jim mentioned that both games between the Blackhawks and Avalanche this season have gone to a shootout. Thus, he thought this game would be close. I did not think much of the comment until Cam Barker tied the game for the Blackhawks five minutes into the third period and it appeared the game was heading for overtime. The game ended up in overtime and had a shootout.

Last night consisted of the minimum three shootout rounds as Patrick Sharp scored on the Blackhawks third attempt to win the shootout 2-1 and the game 3-2.

Off Ice Drama featuring Vince Vaughn
Off ice drama started once Vince Vaughn showed up shortly after the game started and sat in the front row of Section 118. We had a perfect view of Vince and could see everyone asking him for autographs or a picture during the entire game.

At the start of the second period, we noticed that two men were sitting in Vince Vaughn’s seat in the front row because two women (one we will call cute and the other not-so-cute) were sitting in their seats across the aisle from Vince. Once Vince showed up, the women were forced to move and that is when the musical chairs began.

The women moved from seat to seat in Section 118 after people would come back to their seats – even moving to empty seats in the middle of the section (breaking an unwritten rule that if you are sneaking down to a closer section you never make the people who paid for those seats move). At this point I mentioned to Blackhawks Jim, and his friend Brett, that these women may become more exciting than the game itself. They settled in Section 118, Row 6 for the second period until security finally got wind of them from other fans and kicked them out at the end of the second period.

The real excitement began at the beginning of the third period. The two women walked down “our” aisle between Sections 119 and 120. I turned to Blackhawks Jim and Brett and said, “This is going to be good.” Next they crossed Section 119 in order to get to Section 118. We pointed at the usher and said “go get them.” As security was after them they attempted to sneak by a woman and a few guys in Section 118, around Row 13. The woman in the row (we’ll call greenie since she was wearing a green Blackhawks jersey) said something to “not-so-cute.” “Not-so-cute” proceeded to spit in greenie’s face and grab “greenie’s” hair in order to yank her out of the row. That’s when the brouhaha began. The three women ran into the concourse followed by the guys greenie was with. I, of course, ran out as well to see the hubbub. At this point security had already grabbed “cute” and “not-so-cute” and brought them to the security office (aka United Center jail) but not after a lot of yelling and screaming!

Pre Game Dining
Before the game I met Blackhawks Jim and two of his friends at CrossRoads Bar & Grill, which appears to be our preferred place to meet over the Beer Bistro.

Parking
For the first time ever, I parked at People’s Stadium Lot. The cost was $18. The parking attendant collecting money asked for a tip, which is something I have not experienced since the mid to late 1990’s when I parked at the Red Top Parking lot located by Ashland Ave. and Madison St.

Deciphering Blackhawks Ticket Prices: Wild at Blackhawks

I was back at the United Center last night for the Chicago Blackhawks game versus the Minnesota Wild to see Martin Havlat’s return. The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 3-1 as Patrick Kane scored the 50th goal of his career in spectacular fashion. Minnesota became the first team since Pittsburgh in 1996 to earn zero points in their first eight road games.

I had planned to attend this game for awhile since Hospitality Jim of the Arsenal boys was in town with his family.

Pre Game Dining
Since Hospitality Jim has a 5-year old daughter I tried to think of a restaurant that was kid friendly, a tourist attraction, sold beer and downtown. I came up with either Ed Debevic’s (located at 640 N. Wells St.) or Gino’s East (located at 633 N. Wells St.). Since the restaurants are across the street from each other we met and then decided on Ed Debevic’s.

Obtaining Tickets
Since Hospitality Jim was with his family I chose to buy tickets through StubHub rather than buy tickets from scalpers on the street. As I wrote last week, the Blackhawks have a confusing pricing strategy this season. There are three different prices per seating category. I’ll use the tickets I bought last night as my example – Section 302 Row 12.

1) $50 – cost of the ticket purchased from the box office on the day of the game.
2) $45 – cost of the ticket if purchased in advance (before the day of the game).
3) $27 – cost of the ticket if purchased as a season ticket holder of four or more years.

We ended up paying $31.25 per ticket which was in total $55 cheaper than buying the tickets from the Blackhawks ahead of time. Based on this gap in ticket prices I would recommend buying tickets from StubHub or the secondary ticket market for most games this season since season ticket holders are able to sell their tickets (without losing money) for a lot cheaper than the Blackhawks.

Post Game
After the game Hospitality Jim and I went back to the Omni Hotel (located at 676 N. Michigan Ave.) for some post game drinks. If driving downtown after the game, street parking is available and the meters are not checked after 9 pm.

Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks

Last night the Vancouver Canucks were back at the United Center for the first time since losing Game 6 of the second round series against the Chicago Blackhawks 7-5 as the Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Last night’s game was different as the Blackhawks could not hang onto a 2-1 lead in the third period giving up two goals to the Canucks at 7:44 and 4:42 left in the game. The Canucks won 3-2.

Parking
Once again I parked for free along the 2100 block of W. Warren Blvd. which is on the opposite side of the United Center than where I parked last year – the Red Top Parking Lot on the corner of Madison St. and Ashland Ave. This difference in parking location changes what scalpers and fans I will end up negotiating with for tickets as I am now coming from a different direction from last year.

Obtaining Tickets and 2009-10 Chicago Blackhawks Ticket Prices
Last night I saw a fan try to sell his ticket to a scalper but noticed that the ticket did not sell. I yelled at the guy to get his attention and asked if he had an extra ticket. He had a $12 upper deck single – the exact seat I wanted to buy since I believe it is the cheapest ticket available for Blackhawks games.

One note on Chicago Blackhawks tickets for this season is that the ticket price for new or non-season ticket holders are drastically different than the ticket price for season ticket holders of four years or more. The $12 face value was the “four-year-season-ticket-holder” price for the cheapest seats. The price for the cheapest seats for last night’s game would be $30 for me since I buy tickets on the day of the game ($25 if I bought in advance). To make things even more confusing for non-season ticket holder, prime games this season (mainly weekend games) cost $40 on day of the game ($35 if bought in advance). Of course these prices are the cheapest in the arena and seats closer to the ice go up from here.

Thus, with all of this information, I offered the guy $10 for his $12 (or $25 or $30) face value ticket. He countered saying he paid $20 and wanted $20 mentioning that tickets were more than $12 at the window. I offered him $15 and he accepted. I ended up paying more than the price on the ticket but half price based on the cheapest ticket at the ticket office.

NHL in Helsinki: Blackhawks at Panthers

For the first time in ten days, I was attending two games in as many days in the same city.

Pre Game Dining
Since there was nowhere to eat around the arena before the game Friday night, I chose to eat at Zetor before getting on the train to Hartwall Areena. Zetor is just a couple of blocks from the Helsinki train station. The restaurant was recommended by Let’s Go as a good Finnish restaurant. I was disappointed with the “Finnish” meal I ordered at Zetor but overall the restaurant was good.

Selling Tickets
For the second night in a row I needed to sell the other three tickets I sold on Friday night. However, tonight proved to be more difficult as there was a group of kids undercutting the market. They had 139 euro tickets and were willing to part with them for as low as 25 euros which makes it difficult to sell tickets that are 120 euros face value. I ended up selling all 3 seats for 100 euros.

I actually learned quite a bit trying to sell these tickets in a cutthroat environment.

1) As soon as I arrived outside the box office a couple arrived and paid 150 euros for two tickets from the group of kids. I did not undercut the kids because the night before everyone was civilized and let you negotiate with the buyers you talked to first. What I did not realize was that these kids would steal my buyers from me later. At a point I had all three tickets sold for 150 euros but the kids shouted out a lower price which I did not want to sell at the time – 40 euros per ticket. I realized that I should have undercut the kids when the first couple arrived. I thought about it but backed off.
2) Remember to not hold your price too high for too long. As already stated, I could have sold my tickets for 40 euros each, but ended up only receiving approximately 33 euros each. Although you never know who is showing up next to buy tickets, if there are a lot of tickets being sold you will need to take any reasonable offer that comes your way. I use this approach when buying tickets all the time so I should have transferred my knowledge to selling tickets better than I did.
3) While trying to sell the tickets, a guy from Finland (who was also trying to sell tickets) and I started talking. We talked to each other about what tickets were selling for and what we were willing to accept. However, we never discussed being a team to sell our tickets. Just before I sold the tickets for 100 euros, a group of three guys came up to me and wanted to pay 50 euros each. But, one member of the group was talking to my “friend” as well. My friend offered him better seats for a lower price. If we were willing to split the profits we would have made more money.

Hartwall Areena
Last night I decided to check out the Silver Star Café during the first intermission. There were a group of Chicago fans sitting in the area where you could watch the game and order drinks at the same time. The best location is by the couches on the right side of the bar facing the ice.

During the first intermission, I met two guys from Finland and we ended up watching the remainder of the game from the café as we talked with the guys who had vacationed from Chicago to watch the games. The craziest part of the night was when one of the Finnish guys “supposedly” lost his wallet. At first I thought this was a scam to get me to buys some drinks but he ended up finding his wallet and bought a few rounds since he was so relieved.

The Game
While Friday night’s game went to shootout, tonight’s game was just the opposite as the Blackhawks shutout the Panthers 4-0 to split the two-game series in Helsinki. Once again, a Finnish player was the star of the game. This time it was Antti Niemi – the Blackhawks goaltender who blocked all 23 shots the Panthers attempted.

Post Game
After the game I took the train back to the city center with my new Finnish friends. They wanted to go to a club but since my flight was departing Helsinki at 8:00 am to get back to London I only wanted to go out shortly before heading back to the hotel.

As we got off the train, we walked by Sport Pub Chelsea. Sport Pub Chelsea is attached to the train station and turned out to be the “official” Blackhawks’ hang out. We watched the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues game from Stockholm, Sweden.

While we were watching the game we talked to three fans from Chicago who attended the game on Friday night, but did not attend the game Saturday night. The reason they did not attend Saturday night – tickets were supposedly too expensive (which they were if you only considered face value). I told them I had sold my three tickets for 100 euros total and they nearly fell out of their seats. They flew all the way from Chicago and only attended one game. Not because they wanted to attend one but only because of cost. If the tickets were cheaper they would have chosen to attend both games. This is why people should understand the secondary ticket market better than they do.

At 11:30 pm I headed back to my hotel as I needed to wake up at 5 am to get to my 8 am flight.

NHL in Helsinki: Panthers at Blackhawks

Even though my plane was on time I did not arrive at the hotel until 5 pm. After checking in, I left for the game immediately which started at 7 pm. In order to get to Hartwall Areena, I took the train from the main Helsinki train station to the Pasila train station (the first stop after the main train station). I paid for my ticket (2 euros) but quickly realized that there was no reason to buy one since nobody would actually check my ticket on such a short journey. I arrived at the arena shortly before 5:30 pm.

Pre Game Dining
There was nowhere to eat around the stadium. It was just a stadium in the midst of train tracks since we were so close to the Helsinki train station. Since I needed to sell three tickets to the game I did not have time to eat anyway but I would be sure to eat downtown tomorrow night.

Selling Tickets
As with any game that is not sold out I expected to receive less than face value for the tickets (97 euros each). However, another factor was involved that I did not expect – most fans attending the game had already purchased tickets as well. This meant that it was even more difficult to sell the tickets for the game. Not to mention the fact that there were about a dozen other fans trying to sell their tickets as well. Using most of the tricks I know from buying tickets, I tried to make as much money as possible selling these tickets. I ended up receiving 40 euros each for the tickets after spending about 90 minutes trying to sell them.

Hartwall Areena
Hartwall Areena is a regular European arena – there did not appear to be anything special. As was the case when I attended hockey matches in Prague in 2001, you can buy beer from the concession stands but cannot drink it in your seat. However, to get around that rule you can buy beer from the Silver Star Café. If you have a good spot in the café you can watch the game and buy drinks from the bar.

The Game
In the first regular season NHL game in Finland, the Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers went to overtime and a shootout. Ville Koistinen, the only Finnish skater on either team, scored the winning goal in the shootout to give the Panthers a 4-3 win.

The Blackhawks had 55 shots on goal and was the only game I have ever attended where a team had 50 shots on goal in regulation time. I have only seen a team have 50 or more shots on goal twice before and both of those games were overtime games in the playoffs.

1) May 8, 1996: the Colorado Avalanche had 57 shots versus the Blackhawks in a three overtime playoff game.
2) June 6, 1995: the Detroit Red Wings had 51 shots versus the Blackhawks in a two overtime playoff game.

The attendance of 12,056 seemed low for the first regular season NHL game held in Helsinki. However, the low attendance was probably due to the fact the ticket prices for the game were ridiculously expensive with the cheapest ticket being 97 euros and it only went up from there.

Post Game
After the game I took the train back to downtown (no ticket this time) and went back to the hotel to go to sleep.

NHL Playoffs: Red Wings at Blackhawks Game 4

From the start of the day, Game 4 had a different feel than the other Chicago Blackhawks playoff games I have attended. First, it was the first afternoon game of the playoffs. The Blackhawks usually play Sunday afternoon games during the regular season but the weather is cold and on this Sunday it was warm.

Obtaining Tickets
While searching for Game 3 tickets on Friday afternoon, I also bought my ticket for Game 4 on Sunday. While searching ads on craigslist.org, I found an advertisement that was selling his single Game 4 ticket for $110 ($4 over the $95 face value plus Ticketmaster fees) – a good deal compared to what we paid for Friday night’s game. He emailed me back to say the ticket was still available and I agreed to meet him in the South Loop on Friday afternoon before Game 3.

CTA to game
Since I was meeting Blackhawks Jim at the game and we were planning to barbeque at his place in Wilmette after the game, I took the CTA to the game so I could get a ride straight to Wilmette. If heading to the United Center by public transportation, you need to get to Madison Ave. and then take the #19 United Center Express bus to the United Center. Since I live by Wrigley Field, I took the Red Line (‘L’) and got off at Monroe Ave. to catch the bus. I arrived at the United Center by 2 pm.

The Game
The Red Wings scored the first goal of the game short handed and that set the tone for the rest of the game. The Red Wings defeated the Blackhawks 6-1 in the most lopsided victory I have attended during the post season. Blackhawks backup goalie Cristobal Huet started because Nikolai Khabibulin was injured in Game 3. However, the one bright side for the Blackhawks was that they scored a power play goal – continuing the Detroit Red Wings record setting streak by allowing a power play goal for the 13th consecutive playoff game.

NHL Playoffs: Red Wings at Blackhawks Game 3

For the first time since 1995, the Blackhawks hosted a Western Conference Finals game (that series also happened to be against the Detroit Red Wings).

Obtaining Tickets
I had planned to meet up with Blackhawks Jim at the game since he already had a ticket in his regular seats. However, since his wife and daughter and the Ultimate Sports Wife also wanted to attend, I needed to buy four tickets. I considered buying Standing Room Only tickets, but with four people it is next to impossible to find four seats together. We would most likely have to split up 2 and 2. And with the Ultimate Sports Wife preferring to sit (rather than sitting and getting kicked out) it made sense to buy seats for Friday night’s game.

I checked out my regular websites for tickets during the day on Friday – craigslist.org, StubHub and eBay. At 10 am I told Blackhawks Jim it would probably cost around $150 per ticket. I considered waiting until we arrived at the United Center, but again, with four people I was unsure what tickets would be available outside the arena. At 2 pm, I bought tickets off eBay for $140 each (plus $10 for processing) – face value for the tickets was $65 plus Ticketmaster fees.

Pre Game
The original plan was to meet Blackhawks Jim, his wife, daughter and the Ultimate Sports Wife at The Beer Bistro – our usual meeting place. However, traffic on a Friday afternoon from Wilmette to Chicago is normally bad so they never made it. The Beer Bistro has a beer of the month special for $4. This month’s beer was Okocim.

Buying Tickets Note: If I had known I would be at the United Center by 5 pm and that Blackhawks Jim would not be able to show up for dinner I would not have bought tickets from eBay. With two hours to wander around the United Center I would have found a better deal on tickets. In fact, I talked to “Broker Ben” outside of Billy Goat Tavern (the main scalper hang out) and he said seats in the third level of the United Center were selling for around $125 each on the street.

The Game
The Blackhawks lost a 3-0 lead as the Red Wings scored three unanswered second period goals within 4 minutes and 23 seconds. The Red Wings set an NHL record by giving up a power play goal in their 12th consecutive playoff game.

As was the case with Game 2, Game 3 also went to overtime – the fourth overtime game I have attended (and the Blackhawks have played) this post season. Once again, when the Blackhawks are home they score quickly into overtime – Patrick Sharp scored the game-winning goal 1:52 into overtime.

Post Game Dining
Since we missed dinner before the game we needed to eat after the game. We headed to our new usual place – CrossRoads Bar & Grill. I recommend the Thanksgiving Turkey sandwich.

NHL Playoffs: Canucks at Blackhawks Game 6

In what had to have been one of the most exciting NHL games I have ever attended, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-5 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. The Blackhawks advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 1995.

This was the third NHL series clinching game I have attended. The other two came on May 19, 1995 as the Blackhawks defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 and May 7, 2007 as the Detroit Red Wings defeated the San Jose Sharks in Game 6

Pre Game Dining
Before the game, I dined with some colleagues at Petterino’s located at 150 N. Dearborn St. Petterino’s is a reasonably priced restaurant if you are looking to eat in downtown Chicago rather than by the United Center.

Obtaining Tickets
I was attending the game with Blackhawks Jimmy Jr. (son of Blackhawks Jim) and needed to find tickets for the two of us. Earlier in the day, I noticed an eBay auction for two SRO tickets for $55 each. I thought about purchasing those tickets but noticed that tickets on StubHub had been declining in price. Rather than buy the eBay tickets I decided to wait to see if the market would fall further. It did not and I ended up buying two SRO tickets from StubHub for just under $70 each (10 minutes after I made the purchase tickets were $30 more expensive).

I hardly ever buy tickets from StubHub because the difference in price the buyer receives and the seller pays is much greater than eBay, craigslist.org or walking around the arena (as I usually do). However, I decided to make the purchase for several reasons Monday afternoon:

1) The game had a lot of hype and I was fearful there would not be a secondary market outside the United Center as all ticket transactions would take place before people showed up to the arena.
2) It is nearly impossible to get a good deal on craigslist.org with a high demand game as you may not hear back from the “lister” or the price you offered is too low compared to someone else.
3) Tickets on eBay were more expensive than StubHub (even with StubHub’s fees) and I was not near a printer. Most eBay transactions are for electronic tickets which I would need to print out at home or in the office.

For those three reasons, I figured the safest purchase was through StubHub and it appeared as though I was right. When Blackhawks Jimmy Jr. and I arrived at the United Center, I did not see any fans (or scalpers) with extra tickets. Everyone (around 50 to 100 people) was asking for tickets. One scalper did have tickets in section 323, row 16 but wanted $150 each for them. Twice as much as I had paid for SRO tickets.

Standing Room Only at the United Center
As I wrote after Game 3 of the series, most people are intimidated by buying Standing Room Only seats. First, they think they will have to stand for the entire game. And second, as is the case with the United Center, the team may sell too many SRO tickets for the standing room space available. Thus, it can be difficult to see the ice during a playoff game.

Since we arrived about 45 minutes early for the game, I did check out the standing room area to see if we could find a spot where we could stand but still see the ice. We were the second row back. We could see the ice but may have some obstructions if people moved around too much. Thus, I chose to find seats and we could easily since it was 40 minutes before the game.

As the Blackhawks started their pre game festivities 10 minutes before the game, people started to arrive (most Blackhawks fans arrive before the national anthem). We were kicked out of our seats twice and ended up standing next to “sparkler guy” in this picture (I am in the blue shirt towards the right of the picture clapping and Blackhawks Jimmy Jr. is to my left in the Blackhawks jersey - next to the fan with the American flag).


Just after the national anthem ended we sat in row 4 of that same section and were able to sit in the seats for the entire game (I guess a guy from Cincinnati was supposed to drive in for the game but did not end up coming).

The Game
Patrick Kane scored the first hat trick of his career (and the first for the Blackhawks in a playoff game since Gary Suter on April 24, 1994). The United Center had not been this loud since Michael Jordan’s second three-peat run, as the Canucks and Blackhawks traded goals the entire game.

In the first period, the Canucks scored first to take a 1-0 lead, but the Blackhawks matched exactly two minutes later to tie the score 1-1.

In the second period, the Blackhawks took a 3-1 lead, but the Canucks managed to score two goals of their own before the period was over to tie the game 3-3.

In the third period, the Canucks took a 4-3 lead, but the Blackhawks matched about two minutes later. The Canucks then took a 5-4 lead and the crowd thought the series was heading back to Vancouver for Game 7. However, Kane was able to sneak one by Roberto Luongo to tie the game at 5-5 and the Blackhawks scored two more goals to win the game 7-5.

This was the fourth NHL game I have attended with 12 or more goals scored. The other three were:
1) November 12, 1998: Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Blackhawks 10-3.
2) March 30, 2002: San Jose Sharks defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 10-2.
3) January 19, 2006: Los Angeles Kings defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 8-6.

NHL Playoffs: Canucks at Blackhawks Game 4

For the fourth time this season (and second in the playoffs), “Blackhawks Jim” invited me to attend last night’s Game 4 between the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks. As usual, I was planning to purchase tickets on the day of the game. This is another example of why I wait to buy tickets sporting events unless I have to. You never know who might invite you at the last minute.

Pre Game Dining
I met “Blackhawks Jim” and his friends at CrossRoads Bar & Grill located at 1120 W. Madison St. CrossRoads has a $5 glass of wine special on Thursday nights, which in my opinion is better than paying $6 for a beer at the same place.

The Game
In a “must win” game for the Blackhawks, Martin Havlat scored the game tying goal with 2:44 left in the third period to send the game to overtime. Last night’s game was the fifth overtime playoff game I have attended and the second in this year’s playoffs.

During the 15 minute intermission between the end of regulation and overtime, “Blackhawks Jim” and I hung out in the Ketel One Club behind where our seats were located. The Blackhawks scored 2 minutes and 52 seconds into overtime as Andrew Ladd scored the game winning goal to even the series at 2 games apiece.

Post Game
After the game we stopped in at the Beer Bistro, which used to be our pre game restaurant before it started to get crowded. Beer Bistro’s beer of the month is Okocim for $4.

NHL Playoffs: Canucks at Blackhawks Game 3

For the first time in 13 years, Chicago Blackhawks fans could attend a hockey game in Chicago in May.

Obtaining Tickets
Earlier in the day, I had agreed to purchase two standing room only tickets from craigslist.org for $30 each (face value was $25 plus Ticketmaster fees). I had agreed to meet the seller at Billy Goat’s Tavern (located on the corner of Ashland Ave, Madison St. and Ogden Ave.) around 5:30 pm – where we wanted to eat before the game anyway.

Standing Room Only at the United Center
While many people are intimidated by SRO tickets, I am a strong believer in that you can always find a seat. In fact, many times the seat you sit in will be better than the seat would have purchased because you will sit wherever an open seat exists. Standing room only at the United Center is above the third level and can be difficult to see the game when there are a lot of SRO tickets sold. However, in my experience I have always been able to find seats when purchasing SRO at the United Center (although I usually have to change seats 3 or 4 times).

Last night was no exception. After getting kicked out of our seats twice, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I finally settled in the fourth row of section 333. Pretty good seats considering face value for the seats is $85 each and StubHub has seats in row 10 listed for $130. In my opinion, saving $55 per ticket is definitely worth moving around twice.

The Game
The Canucks defeated the Blackhawks 3-1 by shutting down the Blackhawks transition game. The Canucks have a 2 games to 1 lead heading into Thursday night’s game 4.

NHL Playoffs: Flames at Blackhawks Game 2

Sometimes it is hard to determine which sporting event to attend in any given day. The Ultimate Sports Wife, who is also a synchronized figure skating coach, had scheduled her team to compete in the National Synchronized Ice Skating Competition in Orland Park. With the Chicago Cubs scheduled to play the St. Louis Cardinals at 2:40 pm Saturday afternoon, I was hoping her team would compete Saturday morning – giving me time to drive back to Wrigley Field in time for the game. As luck would have it, her team was scheduled to compete at 4:32 pm – right in the middle of the Cubs game. Since I had promised Nicole I would attend, the Cubs game was out.

However, since Orland Park was directly south of Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL, I thought I was clever enough to plan to attend the Chicago Fire game Saturday night after the skating event. That, of course, was before the Chicago Blackhawks were scheduled to play in Game 2 of their first round playoff series versus the Calgary Flames. Nicole, who was exhausted after her day of skating, dropped me off at the United Center at 7 pm – plenty of time to buy a ticket for the 8 pm start.

Obtaining Tickets
I did not have a ticket before arriving at the United Center since I was unsure whether I was attending the Chicago Fire game or not. Before Game 1 of the series, tickets had been available in the upper deck for $50 each (face value). I thought this price was too high and that I could get a better price outside the stadium. However, with the Blackhawks OT win on Thursday night, Game 2 ticket prices increased and were hovering slightly above face value for Game 2 on craigslist.org.

After one trip walking around the United Center, I quickly realized there were no extra tickets available and that most fans were looking for tickets rather than trying to sell their extras. Finally, outside of Gate 2, I found a fan that had an extra ticket. He had supposedly paid $160 each for four tickets. I noticed that face value for his ticket was $95, so I offered him $100 – a fair offer given the fact I had not found an extra ticket outside of the arena but knew tickets were not selling for much more than face value. He accepted the offer.

Ticket Buying Tip: When there appears to be a lack of extra tickets outside of the arena or stadium, be sure to ask as many people as possible if they have extra tickets. You will be surprised how many people you would never think have extra tickets actually do.

The Game
For the first time since 1995, I sat in the Club Level of the United Center. The Blackhawks came back from a 2-0 1st period deficit by scoring 3 unanswered goals in the 2nd period. The Blackhawks won the game 3-2.

Before the game, Mike Ditka dropped the ceremonial “first” puck. As Chris Williams of the Chicago Bears did Thursday night during Game 1, Ryan Dempster of the Chicago Cubs participated in the Blackhawks promotional puck shooting contest between the 2nd and 3rd periods.

Post Game
After the game, I met “Blackhawks Jim” and his wife Maureen at CrossRoads – the same place we ate dinner before Game 1.

NHL Playoffs: Flames at Blackhawks Game 1

Last night was the Chicago Blackhawks first playoff game in seven years and their second playoff series since 1997.

Obtaining Tickets
For the third time this season, my “first cousin once removed,” who at this point we will call “Blackhawks Jim,” invited me to the game with his friend’s season tickets.

Pre Game Dining
The plan was to meet “Blackhawks Jim” and his wife and daughter at our usual pre-game meeting place – The Beer Bistro, which has $5 martinis and ½ priced appetizers on Thursday nights. However, the Beer Bistro was too crowded and did not have a place to sit. Thus, we crossed the street to The CrossRoads Bar & Grill (located at 1120 W. Madison St.) – a new establishment this season.

Crossroads has a “home cooking” menu. I had the Thanksgiving Turkey sandwich with Celery Stuffing. Other interesting items on the menu include deviled eggs and hush puppies. On Thursday nights, CrossRoads has a $5 glass of wine special.

The Game
On April 19, 1996, I also saw the Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames in a playoff game. Last night, with every fan receiving a red playoff towel upon entering the United Center, the Blackhawks defeated the Flames in the third quickest overtime period in NHL playoff history. Twelve seconds into OT, Martin Havlat scored the game winner. The NHL record is nine seconds set by Brian Skrudland for Montreal on May 18, 1996. J.P. Parise of the N.Y. Islanders scored at 11 seconds of OT in 1975 and Pit Martin of Chicago also scored at 12 seconds in 1972.

During the 17 minute intermission between regulation and overtime, “Blackhawks Jim” and I discovered you could purchase drinks from the Ketel One Club even though alcohol sales are cut off in the rest of the United Center. We figured we would have awhile before a goal would be score. Oh well!

Chicago Bears newly acquired QB, Jay Cutler, dropped the ceremonial “first” puck, while Bears offensive tackle Chris Williams participated in the Blackhawks shoot-the-puck contest between the 2nd and 3rd periods. Also in attendance, were Bears Earl Bennett, Caleb Hanie and Israel Idonije.

NHL: St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks

I had not planned to attend the Chicago Blackhawks game on Wednesday night, but my cousin (who I have either attended with or met at the Beer Bistro the last four Blackhawks games I have attended) invited me on Tuesday night.

Rather than go to the Beer Bistro or Billy Goat Tavern before the game, my cousin had promised his kids he would pick up the Jonathan Toews bobblehead promotional giveaway. So we parked in the official United Center parking lot for $21 and walked into the United Center at 6:30 pm (one hour before the game).

Since I had not researched what the giveaway was before the game, I surprised to receive a Glenn Hall commemorative pin when we walked into the United Center – it was Glenn Hall night. Although we did not get the giveaway we thought we would, as we walked into the concourse we realized the Chevy booth was giving away the Toews bobblehead doll as long as you gave them your name, address and phone number. I signed up and received the last bobblehead they had available.

After receiving our bobbleheads, we ate dinner at the Budweiser Select Brew Pub and Carvery which has carved roast beef or turkey sandwiches.

The Game
Before the game the Blackhawks held a ceremony for Glenn Hall. However, Hall was unable to attend due to family obligations so I’m not sure what the point of the ceremony was. The Blackhawks defeated the Blues 3-1. Nikolai Khabibulin lost his bid for a shutout when St. Louis scored a power-play goal with 1.5 seconds left in the game.

At one point during the game, my cousin and I were shown on the scoreboard while they showed fans in the stands. My friend, Mike Holzman, who was also at the game, saw us on the scoreboard and came over to our seats – nothing like the video board to bring two friends together.

NHL: San Jose Sharks at Chicago Blackhawks

On Wednesday night, I witnessed an NHL game go to a shootout for the fourth time. The San Jose Sharks, who were behind 4-1 and 5-3 during the game, came back with two goals in the final 5:07 to tie the game at 5 goals apiece – becoming the 15th NHL game I have attended where two teams combined to score more than 10 goals in the same game.

The Blackhawks made their first two shootout attempts while the Sharks missed their first two resulting in the Blackhawks OT win.

Obtaining Tickets
While walking to the United Center I bought a $15 face value ticket for $10. I had hoped to pay $5 but everyone who had a $15 ticket wanted $10.

Pre Game and Post Game Dining
Before the game, I met my cousin and his friends at the Beer Bistro – our usual pre game restaurant. After the game we went back to the Beer Bistro. I generally do not go back to the same place I went before the game but my cousin is a big fan of the Beer Bistro and since he was giving me a ride home – I did not have much say.

NHL: Los Angeles Kings at Chicago Blackhawks

Yesterday I received a call from my cousin – “My friend has four extra tickets, do you and Nicole want to go to the Hawks game tomorrow?” I said yes, since I already planned to go but did not have a ticket.

Pre Game Dining
We agreed to meet at our usual pre game bar – The Beer Bistro. On Sundays they have 25 cent wings. In addition, we ordered our favorite Beer Bistro pizza – Pepperoni & Goat Cheese. After eating we took the Beer Bistro’s free shuttle to the United Center.

The Game
The Blackhawks defeated the Kings 4-2 after taking a 3-1 lead early in the first period. Blackhawks’ goalie Antti Niemi made 22 saves in his first NHL start. The Blackhawks scored a goal with 43 seconds left in the third period which meant everyone in the crowd received a free Big Mac from McDonald’s. The promotion states that if the Blackhawks score a goal in the last minute of any period or overtime everyone with a coupon handed out before the game receives a free Big Mac.

This was not the first time I have seen the Kings at the United Center, but I have seen the Kings play in seven different stadiums on the road (nine arenas total if you include the Great Western Forum and Staples Center). I have also seen the Red Wings in seven different venues as the visiting team.

Facebook status leads to Chicago Blackhawks Game

Around 3:45 pm yesterday, the Ultimate Sports Wife checked her Facebook account and noticed that my cousin’s status read “Carl is going to the Hawks game!!” Having wanted to go to the Blackhawks game myself and get together with my cousins, I called Carl’s father, Jim, and asked if he was going as well. He was, as well as his wife and Carl’s girlfriend. Nicole realizing that her checking of Facebook was leading her directly to the Blackhawks game added “I don’t think I will state anyone’s status to you anymore!”

Pre Game Dining
The plan was to meet our cousins at The Beer Bistro, located at 1061 W. Madison St., before the game. We were able to park our car for free on Madison St. just outside our meeting place. The Beer Bistro has over 140 beers to choose from as well as a free shuttle to the United Center (if the shuttle is there as you leave). As we were leaving for the game, the shuttle was just coming back to pick up more passengers so we hopped onboard.

Obtaining Tickets
We needed to buy three tickets since we were also going to the game with foxsoccer.com’s Jamie Trecker. Since we arrived after game time we had to buy tickets from scalpers. Ticket Buying Tip: Most fans with extra tickets will not wait around after the puck drops to sell or give away their tickets.

The scalpers would not accept $20 for three tickets, even though there were no other buyers. We ended up paying $35 for three singles for the sold out game. Since we were planning to sit with our cousins in Section 120, we just needed to buy tickets to get into the game. We did not care where the seats were or whether they were together.

The Game
The Blackhawks defeated the Nashville Predators 3-1. We were able to find three seats in Section 121 through a guy my cousin played hockey with – he even gave us his extra tickets so we would have no problem getting passed the ushers.

Post Game Dining
After the game, we ate burgers at Billy Goat Tavern located on the corner of Ashland Ave. and Madison St – only a few blocks from the United Center. We then walked a few more blocks back to our car outside of The Beer Bistro.

NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field

The NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field is an event not to be missed – especially for the Ultimate Fan. First, I was able to attend an outdoor hockey game. Second, it was at a new stadium for an NHL game. Third, it was New Year’s Day which is generally reserved for college football. I have been to four bowl games on January 1 – two Rose Bowls (1996 and 2007), the Citrus Bowl (1997) and the Outback Bowl (2003). Fourth, the event was held within one block of where I live.

After attending 345 Chicago Cubs games (287 of those when living less than a block from the stadium) and one minor league baseball game at Wrigley Field this was the first event that split up the usual lonely winter around the neighborhood. Normally, opening day is like the first day of summer camp – total excitement and anticipation for the summer to come, whereas the last game of the season is when all of the “campers” go home for the winter.

Obtaining Tickets
My friend, Mike Holzman, invited me to the game back in the summer after the game was announced. Since he is a full-season ticket holder he had the right to purchase one ticket to the Winter Classic for each full-season ticket. With tickets priced at $325, $225 and $75, we agreed that the $225 seats probably made the most sense. We sat in Section 228 Row 4.

This, of course, left the Ultimate Sports Wife concerned about where she would be sitting. I promised her I would buy her a ticket and took the following steps to get one:

1) In the middle of November, I entered the Chicago Cubs Season Ticket Holder Lottery for Winter Classic tickets. We lost the drawing.
2) During the week of December 15, I started to check stubhub.com to see how much tickets were. Tickets that had been in the mid $200’s in early December and were now in the low $200’s. I told Nicole we would wait until after Christmas to buy her a ticket. I had a feeling ticket prices would drop.
3) On December 22, I received the following email from the Chicago Cubs:

Thank you for your interest in the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.

As the installation of the rink is now underway, it has been determined that seats previously unavailable may now be made available for sale. Because you expressed an interest in purchasing tickets by entering the recent drawing, we would like to alert you that such tickets will be made available via tickets.com.

Tickets may be purchased starting at noon CT on Tuesday, December 23 by clicking here to order tickets:

4) I logged onto tickets.com at 11:45 am on December 23 and began refreshing the page every few seconds as the clock approached noon. I thought we may be able to buy a ticket since we were only looking for a single. A minute before noon, I was placed in the virtual waiting room. A few seconds later I was able to purchase ticket. I chose the best available single immediately and received a seat in Club Box Section 8 Row 6 for $75 ($88.75 after tickets.com fees). I purchased the ticket immediately.

Pre Game Festivities
The Ultimate Sports Wife and I went to bed shortly after midnight New Year’s Eve. I woke up at 8 am in order to get ready for the day. Our initial plan had been to meet our neighbors around 10 am, go to the Wrigleyville bars and attend the NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza. However, we decided that this would be the one time we would play cornhole in the winter and pulled out our neighbor’s cornhole platforms and bags. An additional perk was that we could heckle all of the Red Wings fans (minus our neighbors) walking in front of our building.

The Game
We walked into Wrigley Field shortly before noon. The pre-game festivities took more than 30 minutes with Bobby Hull, Ted Lindsay, Stan Mikita, Tony Esposito and Denis Savard making appearances. Cubs’ players Ryne Sandberg and Ferguson Jenkins were also in the pre-game festivities to make the connection to Wrigley Field.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4. The Blackhawks had a 3-1 lead after the first period but the Red Wings scored 5 unanswered goals. The teams switched sides at the ten minute mark of the third period so neither team would have an advantage if the wind was favoring one side. During the break, Bobby Hull led the fans in “Take Me Out to the Hockey Game.”

Post Game Party
After the game, we had a post game party at our house rather than party with Blackhawks and Red Wings fans at the Wrigleyville bars.

Feeling like a Sunday (Game 2 of 2): Flames at Blackhawks

I had wondered what I would do between the end of the Bears game and the 6 pm Chicago Blackhawks start. However, since we ended up in the United Club at Soldier Field I had my answer. We left the United Club around 4:45 pm and I took the red line from the Roosevelt el stop and got off at the Monroe el stop. I transferred to the #20 Madison Street bus and got off at Ashland Ave. in order to eat dinner at Billy Goat Tavern, located at 1535 W. Madison St. – a few block walk to the United Center.

Another transfer option would have been to take the #19 United Center Express bus from downtown Chicago. However, the #20 came first and also does not stop at Ashland Ave.

Obtaining Tickets
After dinner, I made the walk to the United Center which passes most of the ticket scalpers along the way. I offered a scalper $5 (for a $15 face value ticket). He did not accept at first but accepted once he realized no other offers were coming his way.

The Game
The Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames 6-1. The Blackhawks have now won 11 straight games when I am in attendance at the United Center. Their last loss in a game I attended was January 11, 2008.

After the game, I planned to take the #9 Ashland bus back to Addison St. and Waveland Ave. – about 6 blocks from my house rather than take the #19 bus downtown and transfer to the red line. While I was waiting at the corner of Ashland and Madison St., I remembered I could logon to www.ctabustracker.com to determine when the next bus would arrive. It showed 2 minutes and the bus there within a minute or two of that estimate.

Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks

Last night the Ultimate Sports Wife and I attended the Chicago Blackhawks game. They hosted the Edmonton Oilers. One of our friends mentioned we should stop by his place before heading to a game at the United Center since he lives only a few blocks away – along the 2200 block of Warren Blvd. We parked in front of his house and stopped in. With no parking restrictions on his block and only a three block walk we chose to take advantage of the free parking and walk to the United Center.

Obtaining Tickets
As we approached the United Center we ran into a few scalpers. I offered the first scalper I saw $5 per ticket for two tickets. At first he said no, but then realized nobody else was buying and accepted the offer.

The Game
Khabibulin shut out the Oilers 3-0. It was Khabibulin’s 4th shut out since joining the Blackhawks during the summer of 2005. I have actually been in attendance for 3 of his 4 shutouts with the Blackhawks – the other two coming on February 20, 2008 and March 19, 2008.

Phoenix Coyotes at Chicago Blackhawks

In my first NHL game of the 2008-09 season, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Phoenix Coyotes 4-1. New at the United Center this season is a Jagermeister concession stand. Fans can buy straight shots of Jager or a Jagerbomb (the drink is pre-mixed).

Obtaining Tickets
Before the game, I checked craigslist.org and noticed fans were asking for $5 per ticket. Thus, I had planned to buy a $5 ticket outside the United Center. I held back and did not even ask how much tickets were from the scalpers along Madison Ave. As I approached the United Center, multiple people were giving away their tickets. One guy gave me a single and another fan had two extras he was trying to give away.

It appears that the Blackhawks did such a good job marketing their team this summer that fans may have over bought tickets. Although the Blackhawks may state their games are sell outs, it may be a prime season for free or close to free tickets. Time will tell.

Game 2: Red Wings at Blackhawks

It was not a shutout but it was impressive. The Blackhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back winning 6-2 to keep themselves in the playoff hunt.

I had bought $10 tickets ahead of time since I knew student tickets (and the game) would sell out – which they did.

After the game, we tried to take one of the bar shuttles that stop at the corner of Wood St. and Madison Ave. but the West End Bar & Grill shuttle was already full. We made the walk over since our car was parked that way. We were one of the last groups to arrive at the West End and it was completely packed. We moved onto where we normally eat when attending Bulls or Blackhawks games – The Beer Bistro.

Doubleheader Wednesday

For the first time this year, I will attend two games in one day. The Cubs are hosting the Brewers at 1:20 pm and the Blackhawks host the Red Wings at 7:30 pm tonight. Weekday afternoon Cubs games means I arrive at work as early as possible in order to get to the game on time.