$2,000 for a Habs ticket?! Prices for Montreal Canadiens games skyrocketing

Opinion columnist Brendan Kelly speaks about the skyrocketing price of Montreal Canadiens' tickets as the team enters the home stretch of the season.

With nine games remaining, and the magic number 11 (minimum points needed to lock up a playoff spot), expect to pay big if you want to go to a Montreal Canadiens game.

On a five-game win streak, in the middle of a five-game road trip, the Habs return to the Bell Centre on Sunday to face the New Jersey Devils.

Resale tickets for that game start at north of $330 per for nosebleed seats within striking distance of the roof. Lower bowl seats, in the first couple of rows, are going for over $2,000.

Tickets for Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers are lower, starting at $238, but expect that price to start rising.

As a comparison, Tampa Bay Lightning fans can pick up tickets to Tuesday night’s game for $47.20, or even $225 for seats three rows from the ice.

Playoffs, benchmarks in sight

Expect all prices to go up in the next three games as Nick Suzuki looks for his 100th point of the season or for Cole Caufield to score his 50th goal.

If he scores four more in the remaining nine games, Caufield (46 goals, 33 assists) will become the first player to do so in a bleu-blanc-rouge sweater since Stephane Richer over 35 years ago in 1989-90.

Before Richer, it was Guy Lafleur, who last pulled off the feat when he did it for a third straight season in 1978-79.

The last Habs player with over 100 points in a season was Mats Naslund with 100 in 1985-86.

Montreal can pick up a maximum of six more points with three wins to conclude the current road trip, which would bring the team’s magic number down to at least five.

A combination of Habs wins and opponents’ losses means Montreal may clinch a playoff place during the four-game home stand (the final two games are against the Lightning (April 9) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (April 11).

If last season is any indication, expect tickets to be in the “sheesh that’s a lot of money” category at least, if not the “did I just blow my rent on one game?” zone.

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