The Senators are “doing brisk business at the box office” at Canadian Tire Centre after clinching a spot in the playoffs for the second straight year, according to Bruce Garrioch of the OTTAWA CITIZEN. Senators President Cyril Leeder said, “The phones have been busy, lots of inbound emails from season-seat members that didn’t renew for whatever reason and new people that want to buy season seats to make sure they get playoff access.” Tickets for the first two home games will not go on sale to the general public until Friday. Leeder said that “season-ticket holders will be given a chance to buy single-game tickets on Thursday before the inventory for Game 3 and Game 4 is sold.” He estimated that there will be “fewer than 3,000 seats available to the public.” Garrioch wrote getting to the playoffs is “good for business, but it also helps the club’s credibility.” This is the second straight year since the Senators were purchased by owner Michael Andlauer and his partners that the organization is headed to the playoffs. The Senators “signed up 200 new season-ticket holders on the weekend, which moves them closer to the league average.” Leeder said that the team is “under the NHL average season-ticket base,” which is just over 11,000 seats (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 4/13).
HOT TICKET: In Buffalo, Michael Petro noted Sabres playoff tickets that went on sale Monday were “gone in a flash.” An “extremely limited” number of remaining playoff tickets “went on sale to the public after full- and half-season ticket members for the Sabres got the first shot at purchasing seats for the playoffs.” That includes current season ticket holders and the “approximately 2,500 fans who signed up this year for season tickets starting next season.” Fans with partial season ticket packages went next. The Sabres are “required to hold tickets for the visiting team.” League and secondary market sellers such as Stubhub “remain an option,” but “likely an expensive one” (BUFFALO NEWS, 4/13).
