I found a cheap flight to Florida yesterday, so I'm coming to my first Estero tourney.
The rink looks kind of small. Do you need to buy tickets in advance?
Do you need to sit in the seats you buy, or can you simply move to where all the Red fans are sitting, like in Albany?
TIA,
JH
[quote Jeff Hopkins '82]The rink looks kind of small. Do you need to buy tickets in advance? [/quote]
No. The rink has been more than half empty every time I've gone.
QuoteDo you need to sit in the seats you buy, or can you simply move to where all the Red fans are sitting, like in Albany?
My experience has been that you can move about freely, though policies can always change.
[quote Section A Banshee][quote Jeff Hopkins '82]The rink looks kind of small. Do you need to buy tickets in advance? [/quote]
No. The rink has been more than half empty every time I've gone.
QuoteDo you need to sit in the seats you buy, or can you simply move to where all the Red fans are sitting, like in Albany?
My experience has been that you can move about freely, though policies can always change.[/quote]
It is true that YMMV, but the flexible seating and laid-back ushers have been a constant over the half-dozen or so Everblades/Florida tournaments I've gone to.
The rink reports near-sellouts but some fans buy tickets and never show, especially the fans of the non-finalists. On the first night, some fans only watch their own team play and then head out into the balmy evening air. I think the most crowded was the year Notre Dame was one of their four. They have lots of fans in Florida. And even then it wasn't hard to get good seats.
The ushers are real easy-going and most will probably have gotten over the presidential election by the time the left-wing pinko college liberal crowd shows up in December, so they won't hassle you for what you might or might not represent. And regardless, they're pretty easygoing. It's as if -- hard to believe -- everyone from the guy who runs the Estero team (Craig Brush '70) on down to the ushers and popcorn sellers believe that since you parted with a chunk of change to get to Florida, eat dinner, buy tickets, buy refreshments, buy souvenirs, but hockey stuff (nice pro shop) ... you deserve to be treated decently.
In case you haven't noticed in in posts from years past, the area where the rink is located has a huge upscale mall and outlet mall. Just in case you need more Mikasa or close-out Hathaway shirts.
A lot of the rink people are north-easterners who've moved south. High school kids who wear their varsity jackets will find at least one of the ushers knows of their school.
[quote billhoward]The rink reports near-sellouts but some fans buy tickets and never show, especially the fans of the non-finalists.[/quote]
They may also count Everblades season ticket holders as part of this... I think they get tickets as part of their package. Can't imagine many of them showing up.
You're right, I've heard or read also that Florida Everblades season ticket holders can attend. They don't get their regular seats but rather folding chairs set up along the concourse ring at the top of the rink.
Capacity for hockey I believe is 7,000.