Last Friday, over 500 students set their tents outside of the Richie Center looking for a chance to win DU hockey season tickets in the annual tradition, “Hockey Night Lights.”
The event was set to start with a 10 a.m. check-in on Friday morning, but with the announcement that Golden Tickets would be distributed based on check-in order, many students started to line-up much earlier.
Junior Graham Petrie was the first to arrive at 5:50 a.m. This was a repeat of his first spot in line last year, when he arrived at 5 a.m.
“I figured that I needed to repeat it. I couldn’t abandon the mantle,” said Petrie.
While he had minimal company for most of the morning, by 9:30 a.m. the line stretched along the fence of Peter Barton Lacrosse Field.
After check-in, students were given plenty of time to set up their tents. Many left after set-up, as they did not need to be back for the night until 6 p.m. Those who stayed for the afternoon enjoyed games, sponsor booths and free bags of snacks courtesy of Safeway.
Students could also play carnival games to try to win raffle tickets for a Colorado Avalanche jersey and a basketball signed by Michael Porter Jr.
For dinner, there was a selection of Snarf’s sandwiches followed by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and Papa John’s pizza later in the night. Participants also had the opportunity to go to Magness Arena for an open skate.
After, Peter Barton was scattered with people throwing frisbees, passing volleyballs, playing soccer and forming hacky sack circles.
The last event of the night was a showing of “The Lego Batman Movie” starting at midnight.
Those who stayed awake for all of the programming did not get much sleep as students began to emerge from their tents and get in yet another line outside of the Richie Center at 6:30 a.m on Saturday morning. They were divided into three lines based on when they had checked in the morning before.
Finally, at 8 a.m., tired participants were let into the Richie Center and given their Golden Tickets. They had their first opportunity to use them in Denver’s 6-1 win against UNLV later that night.
Students who did not score Golden Tickets can still buy $5 student tickets on a game-by-game basis. Denver’s next home game will be on Oct. 11 against Bentley.
