Saturday night hockey quickly became eons more exciting for two very lucky individuals.
On Saturday, December 30th, Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre was not only home to dedicated hockey fans, but also buzzing Taylor Swift fans hoping to win a very special giveaway.
In early December, the Victoria Royals announced they would be giving away a pair of tickets to the Taylor Swift concert in Vancouver which caught the attention of thousands of eager Swifties.
No stranger to a sell-out, the draw of Taylor Swift was able to bring in a whopping 7,006 fans to the arena, marking the Royals first sold-out game of the season.
In a mix of surprise, disbelief, and pure euphoria, in the third period of Saturday’s game, two tickets to the Taylor Swift Eras concert were claimed by Swifties, Nicole Woods and her youngest daughter Henley!
“It’s completely surreal,” Woods told Victoria Buzz.
“I wasn’t thinking about the tickets…I love Taylor Swift but I’m a realist. I was like ‘there’s no way we’re going to win.’ Then they announced our seats…at that point my daughter burst into tears.”
Woods said that she couldn’t help but start shaking as well, the adrenaline in the moment kickstarting her senses into overdrive.
They had merely gone for the hockey and to say hello to friends and left with one of the most sought-after items of the year.
“I saw all the posters around the arena, and was thinking ‘who would come to a hockey game just for the tickets, there’s no way!’—which makes it all the more ironic and special,” Woods laughed.
“We’re huge Taylor Swift fans…[Henley] is 10 and she’s got stickers all over her water bottles, all she listens to is Taylor Swift, and I’ve got random fact books around the house.”
She said that the moment they got home they had a Taylor Swift dance party to celebrate and shared their excitement together.
“We couldn’t be more grateful recipients, it really is a miracle.”
The Victoria Royals posted a photo of the lucky winners on their Facebook page, where comments congratulating the girls have poured in.
“I was so happy to see this. These tix could not have landed in a more deserving home…this family is so kind, generous and contributes in huge ways to our community. Good Karma right there,” one comment reads.
Victoria Royals’ in-game host, Seanna Wainman, described the giveaway as “amazing”.
“The tickets couldn’t have gone to a more perfect pair of people,” says Wainman.
“They were so excited and emotional during my interview with them that I nearly cried, too!”
Additionally, Woods and her daughter Henley weren’t the only ones to leave the arena excited, as the Victoria Royals took home a win against the Edmonton Oil Kings—winning 4-3 in overtime.
Plenty of celebrations to go around!
