Wednesday’s FTB: Did the Leafs finally price themselves too high?

They haven’t sold out a game yet. Has the greed gone too far?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have always had one of the priciest, hardest to find tickets* anywhere in the league. It was a testament to just how popular this team has been despite over a half century of not even losing a Stanley Cup Final.

*Not counting resellers

However, it seems as of late only the former is true. While tickets are still extremely expensive - face value of a standing room only ticket is $131 - they don’t seem to be hard to find as of late. I get numerous emails about available tickets multiple times leading up to game days, and at least once on the day of the game.

Normally the only emails I get are about last minute tickets that go on sale; the leftovers from corporate and team tickets that go unused. For the longest time that’s it, aside from the pre-season sale. Now I’ve been offered partial seasons tickets.

Partial. Seasons. Tickets.

From a team that had a decades long waitlist to even get an offer to buy a full season, the Maple Leafs are reducing themselves to the levels of the Panthers, Sabres, and Oilers by offering partial seasons tickets.

Now, some people will point to the fact that we’re still in the midst of a pandemic and not everyone would feel comfortable being in a sold out Scotiabank Arena that regularly sells out beyond the listed 18,800 capacity for hockey. Yes, that’s true, however in a city of 3 million+ people, and a surrounding region of a few million more I have a hard time believing that out of the 7.8 million people living in the GTA / Golden Horseshoe you can’t find 20,000 of them who would want to go to a Leafs game even right now. That is 1/500th of the population, 0.002%, and not even that many want to be at a Leafs game? Nope. I don’t buy it.

What I do buy as the biggest factor is one number from way up top of this story.

$131.

The cost of a STANDING ROOM ticket for the Maple Leafs. Also that partial season ticket package? 18 games for $1,800. $100 per game. Practically a bargain.

Think I’m being silly, here’s a link to tickets for Friday’s game. Make sure you go to filters ad turn off “Verified Resellers”. While prices seem to have come down from opening night, you’re still looking at spending nearly three figures for a standing room ticket once all is said and done, and expect to pay $151 for the last seat, up against the wall, in section 302. Here’s a snapshot of how many tickets are available for Fridays game as of 10PM last night:

In all my adult life, especially when I was young and dumb with money, and living a 5 min walk from the arena, was it ever easier to get tickets. In the middle of the Dave Nonis, Brian Burke eras of losing it was harder to get a ticket to see Joey Crabb centre Phil Kessel than it is right now to see John Tavares and Auston Matthews line up as the top two centres.

I think the Maple Leafs have finally done it.

They’ve finally hit the ceiling of how much Leafs fans will pay to sell out the SBA.

I hope they’re watching those attendance numbers, and thinking things over.

Now, some news

I never said it would be good news.

Species went to see the Marlies this weekend!

....yet!

The Canadiens are 0-4 to start the season and I am loving it!

The new GM is already on the chopping block.

Oh no, not two meddling owners in the Atlantic!

The Canucks are also not having a good start. Aw I just hate* to see the other Canadian teams do badly.

*I’m a liar

We should buy a billboard outside the Bell Centre and put this heat map up.

Bring back the Nic Petan songs!

Hey, enjoy your day everyone.

I hope you have a good one.