Big crowd expected at Rogers Arena tonight for the Canucks home opener
Posted October 10, 2015 8:57 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – It’s the home opener for the Vancouver Canucks tonight with a few key changes awaiting fans at Rogers Arena. People with tickets are being asked to show up at 5:30pm, even though the game isn’t until 7pm.
Chief Operating Officer Victor de Bonis says part of the problem is that the Lions are playing across the street at BC Place at the same time and there’s a new screening system at the doors. “We do have a security requirement this year with the NHL, so fans are going to go through metal detectors. We are going to be as efficient as we can but that will be a process and the weather may be a little bit off.”
He notes they’ve gotten faster at getting crowds inside during the pre-season. “We get probably 4,000 people through in a 15-20 minute timeline. It’s pretty straight forward, you hold your keys and your phone up in the air and you walk right through. We are trying to be as efficient as we can be based on what the rules are with the NHL. The fans have been great.”
But there is an upside to the lines; all fans get a free beer, pop or water for the first home game, and de Bonis says tonight’s 50/50 draw is expected to be over $200,000.
