Santa likes to venture down to Scotiabank Arena at least once per year with one of his kids to check out his favourite team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. It’s been a tradition for quite a few years, and usually includes a pre-game dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, and a post game sausage from a street vendor.
Even ignoring the team’s annual lack of playoff success, Santa has been getting grumpier and grumpier with the people running the Toronto Maple Leafs (MLSE). Ticket prices have been going up, up and away, and even Rudolph can’t keep up.
Taking a look at the official not-to-be-named online ticket website, the upcoming Dec 30 tilt versus the Ottawa Senators has tickets available. We have a choice between some $500 (approx) seats in the lower bowl (but not near ice level) that are selling at face value. Or for the more frugal fan, there are several options in the rafters that are being re-sold for between $250-350 each. Face value on those ducats is about $150, but they’re gone before the season begins.
Now, Santa is a businessman, and he understands that business is good for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Santa took economics in school, and he understands supply and demand. A lot of people want to see Auston Matthews, Willy Styles and Mmmitch Mmmarner in person, and there’s only so many seats in the arena.
In truth, MLSE can’t really be faulted for selling tickets for what people are willing to pay for them. To their credit, they are probably the classiest organization in the NHL. They treat their players and staff extremely well, and are involved in a lot of charitable efforts.
Average Toronto Maple Leafs Fans Can’t See Games in Person
The downside of all this is that too many seats are purchased by rich corporations, and those seats are too often filled with people who don’t care about hockey. Also, it gets more difficult every year for average fans with average jobs (and their children) to occasionally see their heroes in person.
Of course, this story is nothing new, as the price of tickets for all big-league entertainment, whether it be hockey, basketball, concerts or theatre is now out of reach for so many.
Don’t feel too badly for old Saint Nick, however. After seeing what it would cost this year to see the Toronto Maple Leafs play at home, he loudly proclaimed “ROAD TRIP”!
Santa, Mrs. Claus and one of the Clauslings instead made the six hour drive to Columbus, Ohio to watch the Leafs take on the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena last night. Tuning the laptop back into the website of the unnamed ticket pirates, we see that we can sit in decent upper bowl seats for under $50 (US). Alternatively, there are pockets of seats in the lower bowl available for under $90 (US).
For the price of three Scotiabank Arena nosebleed seats, Santa’s family will see a game from seats about 15 rows up from the ice, pay for gas, a nice hotel room, a couple of good restaurants, and perhaps sample some local ales.
Santa ain’t no dummy.