Fans lined up early Tuesday morning to get tickets to the P.A. Raiders upcoming home games against the Edmonton Oil Kings. (Charlene Tebbutt/paNOW Staff)

By Charlene Tebbutt

Got your tickets?

Raiders fans turn up early for playoff tickets

Apr 16, 2019 | 12:49 PM

You had to get up pretty early Tuesday morning to get a seat for the Prince Albert Raiders’ upcoming home games this weekend against the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The lineup was long at the Art Hauser Centre as fans of all ages waited for a chance to buy their tickets for the start of the WHL Eastern Conference Finals. Ticket sales opened at 9 a.m. Tuesday and it was standing-room only within the first 15 minutes.

Jeramiah Morrison was one of the first at the ticket window Tuesday after getting to the rink at 5:20 a.m.

Morrison said he bundled up in layers against the cold April wind and said he’s looking forward to seeing more playoff hockey with his family, including his sons aged 12 and seven.

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“It’s been exciting to show my boys what competition is in sport and hockey, because they are in hockey, to show them what playoff intensity is like and what it takes to win,” Morrison said. “Learning how to compete and work as a team are great lessons to teach kids.”

“I don’t think they’re ready for what’s coming here as far as a crowd, the atmosphere in this building when it’s full is like no other place in the province,” _{Mitchell Dunning on the Edmonton Oil Kings}

Mitchell Dunning was also in line Tuesday, albeit further back. The self-employed contractor said he’s been to every Raider playoff game in town except one.

“I could be at work, but I’m here buying tickets for the Raiders,” Dunning joked. “The environment is great, it gets super loud, super exciting, I can feel the players feed off that.”

Chris Jackson picked up two tickets for both homes games and plans to take his son to the game. He couldn’t get the seats together but said that didn’t matter.

Jackson joined the line at the Art Hauser Centre a few minutes before 7 a.m. Tuesday.

“I haven’t missed a playoff game yet,” Jackson said.

Not surprisingly, local fans are predicting a swift victory when the series starts up on Good Friday.

“They’re coming off a hard-fought series, but they’re still in game mode, where I think Edmonton’s not ready yet,” Morrison added. “And I don’t think they’re ready for what’s coming here as far as a crowd, the atmosphere in this building when it’s full is like no other place in the province.”

Dunning agreed.

“The Raiders are pure fire right now, I can see them having no issue beating the Edmonton Oil Kings in four games.”

You might need to use one of these to get a good view of the games this weekend between the P.A. Raiders and the Edmonton Oil Kings. (Trevor Redden/paNOW Staff)

Raiders fan bus

The Raiders organization has announced a fan bus will be going to Edmonton for Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference finals next week. Those games are scheduled for April 23 and 24 at Rogers Place.

The fan bus will be leaving from the Art Hauser Centre the morning of April 23. The deadline to register for the bus is this Friday.

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Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt