The Canucks will hit home ice for the first time this season on Thursday, but hundreds of tickets remain unsold for the game here at Rogers Arena.

As of Tuesday, the cheapest ticket that could be found was $150, while lower-bowl resale tickets are going for more than $1,000.

This is all for a team that, as we heard at the end of last season, finished last in the league and is now in a rebuild.

“The Sedins — the co-presidents of hockey operations — and Ryan Johnson, who is now the general manager, understood this team needed a shift,” said Randip Janda, colour commentator for the Vancouver Canucks on KiSS Radio West Coast.

“They were not able to compete at the highest levels anymore, so they needed younger players. That’s been one major shift for this table.”

JC Clemas, also known as “Nucko,” is a Canucks fan with a big following on Instagram, @nucksmemes. While he may not be the most optimistic heading into this season, he’s still holding out hope and excitement for the team’s young talent.

“Seeing a lot of these young players making steps toward being better, developing into these players they can be down the road for us when they need to be competitive … I think looking at that individual success and seeing them make steps from last season is a big thing about this season,” said Clemas.

“It’s not about putting wins on the board, but wins in future seasons. That comes from the development this season.”

Janda says the expectation for the team is that this year will be a marathon.

“They are not in a sprint to win the Stanley Cup,” he said.

“It’s going to take time as they develop the young players, as they get experience, and as they get the right players in the building.”

So while the price of in-person tickets may be hard for some fans to justify, they still plan to tune in, and some are holding out hope of bringing the Cup home.