Thunderbird tickets go on sale Dec. 3

Tickets will go on sale online Dec. 3 for Seattle Thunderbirds hockey games at the city's new ShoWare Center at Kent.

Single-game tickets from Jan. 4 through March 15 will go on sale 9 a.m. Dec. 3 at www.seattlethunderbirds.com, according to a Thunderbirds media release.

Single-game tickets for games on Dec. 27, 28, 30 and Jan. 3 will go on sale on the Web site at 9 a.m. Dec. 10. Thunderbird officials have yet to determine if those games will be played at the ShoWare Center or at KeyArena in Seattle. The Thunderbirds are moving to the ShoWare Center from KeyArena.

The ShoWare Center is slated to officially open Jan. 2, but could be ready for the T-bird games in late December. The 6,025-seat arena is at West James Street and Fifth Avenue North.

The ShoWare Center box office isn't expected to open until mid-December. The T-birds will take phone orders for tickets starting Dec. 17.

Ticket prices are $22 for most seats, or $16 for adults and $12 for children in the family zone. A limited number of club seats will be available for $40. The club seats include access to the club lounge.

Each ticket purchased online will be subject to a $3 convenience fee. There will be no extra fees charged for tickets bought at the box office, once it opens later this month.

"We believe purchasing single game tickets online will be a cost-effective, efficient and a very convenient option for fans," said Rick Ronish, T-Birds director of ticket operations, in the media release. "We will encourage our fans to order online as the ShoWare ticketing system gives our fans the option of ordering the seats they want, at their leisure, and the ability to print their tickets at home at no additional cost and have them in hand immediately."

Fans will be able to pick online the specific seats they would like to sit in to watch a game. The ShoWare system does not pick the best available seat, but rather gives online users the opportunity to select the seats they want.

Fans who buy tickets online and want to pick up their tickets at Will Call or have the tickets mailed to them will be charged $5 per order. Fans who print their tickets at home will be able to do so without a charge beyond the standard $3 convenience fee.

For phone ticket orders, there will be a $3 convenience fee per ticket, a $5 service charge per order and a $5 charge to mail the tickets or have them left at Will Call.

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