They’re going to need a bigger arena.
It won’t be your average Canadian university hockey game when the Lethbridge Pronghorns visit UBC this week. The Alberta visitors will be entering a raucous atmosphere not often seen for Canadian university sports on Friday.
That’s because the fourth annual Winter Classic is taking place at UBC, and for the second straight year, it’s expected to be a sell out.
Only 2 days to go until Winter Classic! Kickstart your Friday night with a pre-party at the rugby pavilion at 5PM then join an expected crowd of 5,500 fans at the @ubctbirdarena to cheer on our @UBCMHKY.
Tix are almost all SOLD OUT: https://t.co/K8OujoynOv pic.twitter.com/4OU0rKwEa9
— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) January 17, 2018
Tickets online have already been all snapped up, so your only chance to claim a seat is to show up to the arena box office when it opens at 4 pm on Friday.
“There will be a very, very limited number of tickets available for walk up,” a UBC spokesperson tells Daily Hive. Over five thousand fans will turn up for the event, which has become more than just a hockey game.
The pre-game festival on the arena concourse actually continues throughout the game. Other features include:
- Outdoor festival zone in front of arena
- Live music and DJs
- Hockey skills games
- Mechanical bull
- Mascot hockey game during first period break
- Surprise second period break show
- Lots of giveaways and prizes
- Face painting and poster making stations
- Food and drinks
As you can imagine for an event that includes a mechanical bull, the atmosphere spills over from the party to the game.
UBC Thunderbirds Winter Classic hockey game
When: Friday, January 19
Time: 7 pm (doors open at 5 pm)
Where: Thunderbird Arena at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, 6066 Thunderbird Blvd, Vancouver
Price: $20 (tickets online are sold out, limited number of seats to be made available for walk up crowd when the arena box office opens at 4 pm on Friday)