June 15--Playoff ticket prices for what could be the last game of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday at the United Center have been shooting up since the Blackhawks won Game 5 over the weekend to take a 3-2 series lead on Tampa Bay.
By noon Sunday, the lowest price for standing-room-only tickets on StubHub.com and on TicketMaster's ticket exchange -- with a face value of $140 -- was more than $1,000, with most of them going for more than $1,200.
Other sites, such as vividseats.com, had some for less than $800. The lowest price for upper-level seats was more than $1,100 on most sites, and seats behind Tampa Bay's bench at the United Center are around $5,000 -- with few, if any, available behind the Hawks' bench.
Anthony Marlowe, who grew up in La Grange and now lives in Iowa City, said he's been casting about online, following up on people Tweeting about tickets, looking at sites like StubHub and following up on any leads he can.
"It's not going to be easy to get them," said Marlowe, who just returned from a three-week honeymoon and is looking to travel to Chicago on Monday, possibly without his wife, because "I'm not sure she's up for it."
Like many Chicago fans, Marlowe's been hoping for the Hawks to win the Stanley Cup in Chicago, something that hasn't happened since 1938 -- a fact that's helping to drive up ticket prices, according to at least one ticket broker.
Marlowe said he is still likely to bite the bullet and pay up to get into the game even "if I have to pay a couple grand."
