Scalpers trying to capitalize on Pats playoff success

After a nail-biting seven-game series, the Regina Pats have moved on to the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference finals, but at home the team is experiencing some of the pitfalls ofpopularity.

During their series between the Swift Current Broncos,the Pats sold out Regina's Brandt Centre but some ticket resellers tried to get a cut of the action.

On April 17, some scalpers had posted tickets for $100. By way of comparison, prices for the April 21 game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes are listed for $20 to $35 on Ticketmaster.

• Regina Pats advance to WHL eastern conference finals in 5-1 victory over Swift Current Broncos

Stacey Cattell,the chief operating officer for the Pats, says the the first two games of the series sold out in around nine minutes.

"It's new for us, and it's great to be popular," said Cattell.

"We did put some caps on what people can purchase this time. Ticketmaster, you can only buy eighttickets, and at Safeway you can only buy four per person. But again there are people that will work their way away around that," he said.

Despite their best efforts there's very little the team can do to stop scalpers. Cattellsays despite the safeguards they've put in place people are still attempting to resell tickets. He advisesbuyers to be aware and to check whether the ticket price is listed in American dollars.

Despite scalpers, the team is still experiencing a bump inmerchandise sales and attendance. Cattell saysthe team store has run out of jerseysseveral times this season.

"We're literally scrambling to get more right now," said Cattell.

"Merchandise sales are almost 50 per cent more than they were last year overall," said Cattell, adding that by the fourth game of the playoffs, the team already surpassed sales from the previous year.