Tickets. Tickets? Tickets!

With the regular season already a few games in- the Ducks sit at 3rd place in the entire NHL (Ha! Suck it, haters!)- hockey is back, and it feels so good! As fans, we’ve geared up and begun to dig in for the long haul. 41 games out on the road and 41 games in our respected barns. We loyal supporters want to see the live action as much as we can, but it can be a costly hobby. Pricing of tickets can skyrocket through normal channels at each venue’s box office, not to mention somewhat expensive sellers such as Ticketmaster, and it becomes necessary to search for other avenues to acquire the best seats at the most affordable prices. I’ve personally been a Ducks SSH (Season Seat Holder) for 6 seasons now. Thankfully, monthly payments have allowed me to make this happen, but of course, I’ve also had to filter my way to purchasing tickets for the games I wanted to attend until buying said season seats became my final option. Because of this experience and financial hoop-jumping, I wanted to share my knowledge with you (the league’s best fans!) on what I think are the best places to turn to when in need of Ducks tickets.

Before I go any further, this is in no way my wannabe version of rankings like my colleague, Jake Rudolph, provides. No, this information will be much more useful! Luv you, Jake! XO!

Friends/family who are SSHers

If you’re ingrained in hockey and in your team, chances are that you know someone who owns season seats. This is a very trustworthy route, knowing that the tickets will be legitimate, and you’ll have the assurance that you won’t be duped and feel like a total dummy. Following fellow fans on social media is a good way to go, because if someone you know online doesn’t have tickets available, he or she more than likely will know someone who may. But there are other storefronts that offer reasonable options for ticket purchasers.

714-Tickets

Look, I know you’re probably thinking, “Dude! Of course you’re going to pick them because you’re Anaheim Calling who’s connected with 714 Tickets and you have to!”

WRONG. I’ve been buying from 714 for 10 years (even after getting season tickets), and these guys are solid. They’re affordable, they have amazing customer service, and they’re right across the street from the Honda Center. If you go pick up your tickets at 714 in person, there’s NO fees! You won’t get duped and yeah, if you use the code ACPOD, you get 10% off! If the code no longer works, well then, George didn’t write this article...Jake did! Either way, George & Jake swear by these guys. We’ll even sing the jingle!

StubHub

I use StubHub occasionally, but mainly when traveling out to AZ to see the Ducks play at Gila River. I plan to use them for other road games such as San Jose or Vegas. Read the fine print, though. They say that they don’t include fees, but in some cases that’s not true. I’ve had fee charges for instant download/mobile tickets; however, you can still find some really good deals.

Ticketmaster Ticket Exchange

Ok, I know I said Ticketmaster is expensive (which they are), but Ticket Exchange is a good place to go because it’s tickets sold by other season ticket holders. So, no scams, but of all the places I’ve purchased from in the past, this was the more pricier of the alternatives.

Contests/Promos

I’ve won tickets to sporting events and shows by radio as well as via promos. Even we at Anaheim Calling have had our own contests. But radio shows such as Duck Calls hosted by Josh Brewster, The Woody Show on Alt 98.7 (shout out to my boy Randy! YOU KNOW!), and The Kevin & Bean Show on 106.7 KROQ (word up to my girl Chip!) will regularly have ticket giveaways. There’s also the promo with Mercury Insurance where you can get tickets just by simply getting a free insurance quote. Teams will also post giveaways on their social media platforms so if you follow them, your chances of getting tickets is greater.

THE DON’T’S

One can’t suggest where to buy without suggesting where NOT to buy, and I’d be doing you readers a disservice if I don’t. Not that I would feel bad, but I want to be fair. Places you should be very cautious (if not staying away from) are sites such as Craigslist, Ebay, Jimmy’s Discount Ticket Basement, Inc. (I should probably trademark that), and -of course- scalpers. I’ve bought tickets and other items from Craigslist and each time, I’ve never been certain they were proper. The anxiety is not fun at all. Also, there is the matter of safety in these days of late. Thank the Maker, I still have both my kidneys which I’m very happy about, no matter how shitty they are. If you’re going buy through private/third-party sellers, please heed my advice:

MEET THEM IN A PUBLIC AREA. Starbucks is always a great place for this.

No matter where you go to get tickets, I hope my measly words will help those in this coming season and in future ones be it sports or other events. If you have any questions regarding this article, please feel free to hit me up and I’ll do as CJ does to me...completely ignore you.