It's a long road to the NHL Stanley Cup finals, but the Calgary Flames continue to defy the odds, with their success against the Vancouver Canucks igniting hope that our city will get to see a second round of playoff action for the first time since 2004.

And game tickets are in short supply. Those who don't get the chance to buy limited seats through a Flames-hosted ticket draw can try other online options such as Ticketmaster or the official third party seller NHL Ticket Exchange, or search online classifieds like Kijiji — all without ever leaving leaving the comfort of their homes or offices.

A quarter century ago, things were a little different.

In 1989, the Calgary Flames were making their legendary run for the Stanley Cup — and fans who didn't hold season tickets had to line up outside places like the Bass ticket counter at Market Mall or the Olympic Saddledome (as it was then named), all for the privilege of buying seats in the nosebleed section.

This was a time when people would camp out overnight to ensure they got tickets.

Scalping was illegal. In May of 1989, the Calgary Police conducted a one-night blitz and arrested 16 people for re-selling tickets at a profit, charging them under the "amusements act." They were responding to complaints the scalpers were trying to get between $50 and $125 per ticket.

In 1987 the CBC reported that the average ticket price for a regular game was about $20. In 1995, the most expensive seats in the Dome maxed out at $69. The Flames say 2015 playoff tickets range in price between $85 and $540.

We got our hands dirty and braved the dust to dig back into our tape archive to show you exactly what Calgary Flames fans endured to get game tickets. Enjoy the trip back in time.