PITTSBURGH – Emotions were running high outside of Mellon Arena in the final hours prior to Mario Lemieux's return to the ice.

Many fans were shouting and chanting Mario cheers while waiting for the doors to open at 6 p.m. ET. Some had trouble putting their excitement into words. Others were making their way from the parking lots with a purposeful stride – as much to get inside to the impending excitement as to get out of the light snow and temperatures hovering around 20 degrees.

Mount Washington resident Jennifer Varner ended up crying on a bench near Gate One.

Minutes earlier, she bought and bartered for what she thought were two tickets in the C level for tonight's historic event between Pittsburgh and Toronto. The tickets had a face value of $65 each. Varner paid $400 in cash plus handed over two gold and sapphire earrings to a man who was trying to unload the tickets. In reality, she purchased two seats to a Penguins game vs. the Maple Leafs that was played here two weeks ago. Ticket takers stopped Varner and her friend when they tried to enter the building with their Dec. 13 tickets in hand.

"I'm devastated," Varner said with a tinge of anger fighting through her tears. "I go to a lot of games but I didn't have tickets for tonight. I can't believe this happened."

Replaying what had just happened to her, Varner said the scalper held his thumb over the date as he was showing her the tickets. She didn't think much of it, or the fact that he became nervous as the transaction was nearing its end before she saw him leave the parking lot across the street from the arena.

She was out of money and held little hope of actually seeing Mario's return to the NHL in person.

Others looking for tickets were hoping the price would come down as the clock ticked closer to game time.

A 17-year-old named Neil from Indiana, Pa., was holding the top of a shoe box that read "Need 2 tickets." He and his friend Ian were willing to pay $110 each to get in the building but the best offer they could find 90 minutes before face off was $500 for two tickets in the E level (face value of $30 each).

"Actually, I'm just looking for standing-room tickets," Neil said as he tried to stay warm. "I just want to get in the building."

That's all Jennifer Varner was looking for too as she waited to tell her story to Pittsburgh police.

David Albright is a senior editor at ESPN.com.