I know this is still 3+ months away, but I'm giving some thought to attending the Fan Appreciation Day game on Saturday 4/8 against the Islanders and I have a few questions for those of you who have attended the fan appreciation game in previous years:
1) Does the fan appreciation day game typically sell out in advance? (I'm anal about getting actual physical tickets for games if possible because I save my stubs.)
2) What are "typical" giveaway items for that game? Assuming there are giveaways for all fans, are they extras of giveaways from earlier in the season or something unique? If previous promotional items function as the giveaway items, can fans choose the item they want or is it pre-determined (or first-come, first-served)?
3) What other special activities do the Devils do before or during the game?
I also have one other, unrelated question - what impacts are the 7:30 PM Friday night starts having on attendance so far this year and the possibility the Devils keep those start times next year? That 30 minute difference actually makes a big, negative difference for me; I can only attend Friday night (depending on my work schedule), Saturday, and/or Sunday early afternoon Devils home games and I generally prefer the Friday night games. However, the last Amtrak train to DC leaves Newark Penn Station on Friday nights at 10:22 PM, so if the game goes to overtime, I probably would have to leave before it is over (or seek less convenient but later bus options leaving from midtown Manhattan to get back to DC). Notwithstanding that issue, I'm currently leaning towards attending the Friday 2/3 Calgary game, so I'll see how things go if I attend that game.
Any feedback to any of the above questions would be appreciated.