Fourteen months from now, the Okanagan will be awash in Memorial Cup madness.
Securing a seat to watch the 10-day tournament in late May of 2020, though, began Friday morning.
The Kelowna Rockets announced their season ticket prices for the 2019-2020 season. Purchasing a season ticket will be the only way to guarantee a seat for the Memorial Cup tournament, as each game is likely to be sold out.
At every Memorial Cup, host teams have to set aside a block of seats for visiting teams, sponsors, league officials, dignitaries, media and others. That block varies per year, but with only 6,007 seats at Prospera Place, tournament seating will be at a premium.
With approximately 4,000 season-ticket holders, that leaves just 2,000 seats left. Factor in around 1,000 blocked-off seats, and now we’re down to around 1,000 remaining seats.
While that may sound like a lot, it’s not.
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At the 2004 Memorial Cup in Kelowna, the Rockets couldn’t match the demand for tickets. In fact, they had to set up a viewing tent in the parking lot because they reached the rink’s occupancy safety limit.
In the final, a standing-room crowd of 6,636 watched the Rockets defeat the Gatineau Olympiques 2-1 in the final.
Notably, that tent was copied and expanded upon at the 2005 Memorial Cup in London, Ont., and has been a fixture at every tournament since.
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“I will never forget the atmosphere of the building during the regular season leading into the 2004 Memorial Cup and that feeling of stepping out onto the ice, knowing that our fans were behind us,” said Rockets assistant coach Josh Gorges, who was Kelowna’s captain in 2003-04.
“To have the opportunity to play on that stage in front of your home crowd was a once in a lifetime experience, and it remains one of the highlights of my career.”
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Buying a season ticket guarantees first dibs at Memorial Cup seats, but at a price. Season tickets start at $591.50, with the Memorial Cup package priced at $567. Both prices do not include taxes and applicable fees.
“Today is an exciting day for our hockey club and community as we look forward to the 2019/2020 season and the 2020 Memorial Cup being hosted in our beautiful backyard,” said Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton, whose team failed to make the playoffs this season.
“Before we close the door on this season, I want our fans to know that I understand and share in their disappointment of this year’s final results. The next couple months are going to be very busy for myself and our scouting staff, but we are excited about the challenge that lies ahead of us to add some new players to our roster.”
The 2020 Memorial Cup schedule
- Friday, May 22 – Game 1
- Saturday, May 23 – Game 2
- Sunday, May 24 – Game 3
- Monday, May 25 – Game 4
- Tuesday, May 26 – Game 5
- Wednesday, May 27 – Game 6
- Thursday, May 28 – Game 7 (tiebreaker game, if necessary)
- Friday, May 29 – Game 8 (semifinal)
- Sunday, May 31 – Game 9 (final)
For more information about season tickets and Memorial Cup packages, click here.
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