Duquesne students feel the rush

What began as a way for the Pittsburgh Penguins to sell out Mellon Arena 15 years ago has become an important part of the franchise and a great attraction for Duquesne students.

Student Rush began in 1996 when the team's attendance was slowly declining. According to the Pittsburgh Penguins Vice President of Communications Tom McMillan, the organization would have around 200 to 300 empty seats that they wanted to fill and began to think of who would take them. They began to sell them discounted to students to fix the problem, and Student Rush was born.

After the 2004-2005 NHL lockout, the program skyrocketed, McMillan explained. The team had Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Staal drawing in crowds of about 1,200-1,300 students, who all waited outside Mellon Arena for tickets.

These stars began to produce wins for the organization and after the team went to the Stanley Cup Finals during the 2007-08 season, the games began to sellout. The students weren't needed to fill up empty seats anymore, but the organization kept the program going. At least 200 $25 tickets are left available for Student Rush for each game at Consol Energy Center.

"Nothing is more important than marketing to young people," McMillan said. "[Student Rush] is essential."

McMillan looks at Student Rush as "building fans for the future," and added that the organization has season-ticket holders who buy their tickets after becoming hooked on hockey through Student Rush. The organization wants to create a core group of fans for the future.

Student Rush changed two years ago from a line outside the arena on game day to online student ticketing and text messages that told interested buyers how many tickets were available and when they could be purchased online, usually 10 a.m. McMillan said they made the change because it didn't make sense for 1,000 people to line up for only 200 tickets. Any excess rush tickets not sold online are available for purchase at the box office inside the Consol Energy Center, but McMillan said they typically sell out online.

Freshman environmental science major Lauren Drumm has a problem with the student-rush tickets being sold online.

"I've tried to get tickets online, but it wasn't very clear on the website where to go. And when you tried to go on Ticketmaster, there wasn't even an option that said Student Rush tickets, and they sold out very quickly," Drumm said. "I would prefer if it was the normal standing in line at Consol, because I think that would be more fun, and it [being online] takes away from the experience of rushing."

The proximity of the Penguins' new home has helped Duquesne's student body become a large part of the Student Rush target audience.

Two of the 500 ticket games that draw students to line up along Forbes Avenue have already occurred, including Tuesday's game against Colorado. These games normally have giveaways for the students waiting in line, including pizza delivered by the players.

Sophomore music education major Jeff Schmay has not rushed, but plans on doing it in the near future.

"I just think it's a good opportunity for [the students] to get to go to games when it costs so much to go. It's good to go down, and ... it's cheap," Schmay said.

Freshman nursing major Madie Massey sees Student Rush as a social gathering.

"It brings everyone together as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan to support something that goes on around Pittsburgh ... I think it's a really good program," Massey said.

Tickets for Student Rush are normally $25, and the seating locations vary. Most are close to the ice and in the lower bowl. To get Student Rush text messages about when tickets are going to be sold, text RUSH to 32623. There are three remaining 500 ticket student rush games: Feb. 15 against the Anaheim Ducks, March 9 against the Florida Panthers and March 27 against the New York Islanders.