Canadiens ticket prices through the roof as fans return to Bell Centre

Canadian sports fans are getting their first chance to watch live playoff hockey in a long time but they will have to pay a hefty price for that opportunity.

For Game 6 of the first-round series between Montreal and Toronto on Saturday, the Canadiens are allowing a maximum of 2,500 fans into the Bell Centre after Quebec eased its COVID restrictions.

With that exclusivity, the resellers of those prized tickets marked up the prices to thousands of dollars.

Seats are available throughout the arena, but according to Quebec’s plan to open those indoor spaces, only 250 people are allowed per section.

This rare taste of live hockey in Canada is clearly valued fairly high after watching the American NHL teams have their arenas open to the public for a few months now. Some teams like the Nashville Predators have boosted capacity in the playoffs to over 14,000 fans.

Despite the attendance being limited in Montreal, players are certainly excited to play in front of a live audience again.

“Yeah, I think, to be honest, they will deserve that game big time, and it’s going to be crazy there,” Montreal forward Phillip Danault said. “It’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait to be in front of our fans. Been waiting for that all year and here we are in Game 6 [against] Toronto Saturday night at home. Can’t get any better than that.”

After a hard-fought Game 5 overtime win on Thursday, the Canadiens cut the Maple Leafs’ series lead to 3-2 and will face elimination once again. But this time, more people will be inside the building.

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