Sales were brisk yesterday, the first day Kootenay Ice season ticket holders were able to reserve their seats for January’s outdoor tilt in Spokane.

By closing yesterday, the Ice had sold more than 85 tickets in one section of Avista Stadium at $45 a seat.

The Chiefs released 200 tickets to the Ice, 100 each in sections O, and RF1 (where tickets are $33 each). Ice season ticket holders have the first crack at them, before sales are opened up to the general public the day after Labour Day.

“It’s going very well, so we might hit that 200 before Sept. 7,” said Kootenay’s director of marketing Tiffany Harris.

One fan was so excited to get dibs he camped out in front of the Ice office at 6:40 a.m. Monday, just under two hours before it opened.

The Jan. 15 game will be the first played in the outdoors in both Canadian Hockey League and Western Hockey League history. The capacity of Avista Stadium (around 6,800) is actually smaller than that of the Chiefs’ regular indoor home, Veterans Memorial Arena (10,361).

The exclusivity is bound to increase demand for tickets, but folks who can’t get in need not necessarily despair: the WHL is working towards getting the game shown on TV across North America.

In remarks to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, Chiefs’ owner Bobby Brett explained that the game would not be a money-making venture.

“We’ve been looking at it on and off the last couple of years. The cost to get the ice is really way too expensive. But when the organization ... really took a step back, we looked at this as something we couldn’t afford not to do,” he said.

“Everything in life is not about dollars and cents. It probably makes no sense for us to do this game, but I thought this was one of those things that’s a special event. Twenty-five years from now... there will be 50,000 people saying they were there Jan. 15 when the Chiefs beat Kootenay and it was snowing sideways.”

Naturally, the Ice and 200-plus fans are hoping to have a different story to tell when it’s all over.

BACK TO THE LINKS

After concerns over the economic downturn caused its cancellation last season, the annual Kootenay Ice Golf Tournament is back in force on Friday.

With a limit of 32 teams allowed, there are just a handful of slots available.

“It’s been good, especially when you hear of some of the other tournaments that have struggled,” said Harris. “We’re not sold out, but we also don’t have just 10 teams. We’re close to capacity.”

Although the registration deadline passed last Thursday, Harris said paid registration could still be accepted.

The tournament is a major fundraiser for Kootenay’s education fund, which pays for post secondary schooling for players after their junior hockey careers are complete.

The event has raised more than $300,000 over the years; several of the beneficiaries will be on hand at the Cranbrook Golf Club later this week, including University of Saskatchewan Huskies Steve Da Silva, Andrew Bailey and Chad Greenan.

The Norrie brothers will also be bringing out the wrenches: Shaun won a Memorial Cup in 2002, his sole full season with Kootenay, while Jason’s final year in junior hockey was the Ice’s last campaign in Edmonton.