Cup tix runneth over

FLYERS FANS aren't the only ones hoping for a Game 7 Friday night in Chicago. Online ticket sellers are salivating at a hot commodity should "Broad Street Believin' " forge on.

According to StubHub, a popular online ticket site, fans are shelling out an average price of $850 for tonight's game at the Wachovia Center, while a potential Game 7 ticket is going for $1,175, with a high of $8,580 for seats on the glass.

"Should the Flyers win [tonight], I expect Game 7 prices would immediately skyrocket to match the increased demand," said StubHub's corporate communications manager Joellen Ferrer. "We'll be sure to see fans from Philadelphia making the last-minute trip and looking for tickets. But, right now is actually the best time to buy Game 7 tickets for a variety of reasons - prices have not been affected yet by the market, there is the widest selection of seating options, and it's completely risk-free because fans would get a full refund [ticket price, fees, and shipping] if the game isn't necessary."

But should Game 7 be necessary - and many have their fingers crossed that it will be - average prices could double, making it the hottest ticket in sports, even surpassing the NBA Finals. FanSnap, an online search engine that analyzes trends in the online ticket market, has the average price for Game 6 at $1,125.30 and Game 7 around $2,200.

"The average ticket price of a Stanley Cup finals game is $1,379, which ranks third to the [2010] Olympic gold medal game [between USA and Canada] and the Super Bowl," said FanSnap's Christian Anderson. "The average cost for an NBA Finals game is $853, which is almost 40 percent lower than those for the Stanley Cup."

FanSnap provided the following breakdown in ticket fares for tonight's game and for Friday's potential return to the Windy City:

At the Wachovia Center:

* Lowest price tickets: $329

* Lower bowl tickets: $611-$6,050

* Tickets on the glass: $940-$5,500

Friday in Chicago:

* Lowest price ticket (SRO): $853

* Lowest price tickets (with a seat): $1,100

* Lower bowl tickets: $2,199-$14,850

* Ticket on the glass: $2,934-$14,850

Happy hunting.

- Kerith Gabriel