In anticipation of the same unrivaled fan enthusiasm that has tested the FleetCenter's capacity for its past six tournaments, the Hockey East Association is pleased to announce that tickets to the 2005 Hockey East Championship Tournament will go on sale Saturday, December 4, at 11:00 a.m. Championship tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster and at the FleetCenter box office. Ticketmaster can be reached online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (617) 931-2000.

The tournament semifinal games will take place on Friday, March 18th, and are scheduled to face off at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. The ticket prices of $15/$23* per seat in the balcony or $30 per seat in the loge include admission to both semifinal games.

Winners of the semifinals will advance to the title game at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 19th, to determine the winner of the 2005 Lamoriello Trophy. Ticket prices will again be $15/$23* for balcony seats and $30 for loge. For both events, a $5 discount* on balcony seats will be available to groups of 15 or more people and to students with a valid ID from any Hockey East member institution.

"Last year, we were pleased to see brisk December sales as many fans used tournament tickets as holiday gifts," said Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna. "With another semifinal sellout last March, we expect even better sales this holiday season."

The 2004 title game was an instant classic as the University of Maine outlasted the University of Massachusetts, 2-1 in triple overtime, to clinch its fifth Hockey East championship. A near-record crowd of 34,308 witnessed the two nights of FleetCenter action and similar crowds are expected this year. League executives strongly recommend that fans procure their tickets early for what promises to be one of the most exciting events of the 2004-05 college hockey season.

* Under 2005 pricing, all loge seats are $30. Balcony seats have a two-tiered pricing structure, with the first six rows priced at $23 and all other balcony seats priced at $15. Students may apply their $5 discount to all balcony seats while groups (15 or more people) may only apply their discounts for the $15 tickets. Discounted seats must be purchased at the FleetCenter, or at the participating schools' ticket offices once those schools have been determined. There are no discounts for loge seats and there are no discounts available through Ticketmaster.