Colorado Avalanche: News from around the NHL May 23, 2014

Game 3 tickets between the Rangers and the Canadiens were going for insane prices.

Demand for tickets to Thursday’s playoff game between the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens has sent prices surging to more than double the 2010 record for a Madison Square Garden sporting event.

Tickets for Game 3 of the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference finals are selling for an average of US$1,006 on the secondary market, according to online aggregator SeatGeek. The cheapest seats are listed at $478.

The average is $27 less than the most expensive game of last year’s Stanley Cup Final, when fans paid an average of $1,033 to see the Boston Bruins host the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6. No game in the 2012 Final between the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils topped $1,000.

Halak signed a four year deal.

The New York Islanders and goaltender Jaroslav Halak agreed to a four-year contract worth a reported $18 million on Thursday.

“I’m thrilled,” Halak told the Islanders website. “It’s a big opportunity for me. It’s a young team. There are some really good hockey players on the team and that was the biggest factor. Plus I know (defenseman) Lubomir Visnovsky. He’s a really good guy and a good friend of mine.”

The deal comes three weeks after Islanders general manager Garth Snow traded for the 29-year-old Halak’s negotiating rights.

An Avalanche fan will be at the Colorado Avalanche prospect camp.

Every summer, the Colorado Avalanche host a prospects camp. This July, the camp will feature Colorado born and raised Landon Smith. According to the Denver Post on Thursday, Smith was asked to attend by David Oliver, who is the director of AHL operations for the Avalanche.

“It’s incredible. I grew up watching the Avalanche my entire life,” said Smith. “So to get a call from them is incredible. No other words for it.”

Born in Denver and raised in Greenwood Village, Colo.; Smith captained the U16 Colorado Thunderbirds to the Tier I AAA national championship, the first in state history. He is also a former University of Denver recruit, but was recruited by George Gwozdecky, and was not signed by new coach Jim Montgomery.

“It kind of drove me, gave me fire to excel,” said Smith.