'We love them': Tickets sell out in minutes for Cape Breton Eagles’ third-round playoff games
Cape Breton Eagles fans were lined up at the Centre 200 box office Thursday morning in Sydney, N.S., in hopes of securing tickets for the team’s third-round QMJHL playoff series.
“This is the most exciting team that we’ve had in Cape Breton in a long time,” said one fan.
The Eagles swept their second-round series against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens with an 8-5 victory Wednesday night. The win propelled the team to the third round, a playoff spot they haven’t reached since 2007.
Centre 200 was sold out for the two home games the Eagles played against the Saguenéens and, with the series sweep, excitement around the team is at a whole new level.
"Because they're doing awesome, and we love them,” said a fan who went to the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport to greet the team when they arrived home Thursday.
Fans line up at the Centre 200 box office in Sydney, N.S., on April 18, 2024.
Within a matter of hours, tickets were sold out for all three home games for the upcoming round. The ticket frenzy marks a major turnaround for the Eagles, who went from selling 1,500 seats a game in the fall to 15,000 in one day on Thursday.
"Literally eight minutes (after the tickets went on sale), I got a text from my billets showing me how many tickets were left, and it was literally just the upper bowl,” said Nicolas Ruccia, Cape Breton Eagles goalie.
"There's a reason we've been so successful at home, and a huge credit for that is the fans."
Now, the team’s focus is shifting to their third-round opponent.
"We're always ready for a challenge and we can compete with anyone, so we'll be ready for next week,” said Cape Breton Eagles forward Jacob Newcombe, who set a new Eagles record for points in a playoff game with six.
Games three and four of the Q-league semifinals are set for April 29 and 30 at Centre 200, with a game six in Sydney, if necessary, on May 4.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
As storms moves across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters
A child in Texas died Sunday after being swept away in floodwaters as storms swept across the state.