$150 for two pre-season games?

[Alpine]

Just reading this AM's paper, Penguins will be here, Moncton, for a four day mini-camp Sept 18-21st followed by Penguins/TBA Sept 21 and Bruins/Islanders Sept 22.
Tickets are only being sold as a package of $150 for both games, unless they don't sell-out, then single game tickets will be sold.
Now I know Moncton ain't no NHL type city, but isn't $75/game for pre-season a little high or am I just a country bumpkin on prices.

Click to read more...

 

[Evil Genius]

Just reading this AM's paper, Penguins will be here, Moncton, for a four day mini-camp Sept 18-21st followed by Penguins/TBA Sept 21 and Bruins/Islanders Sept 22.
Tickets are only being sold as a package of $150 for both games, unless they don't sell-out, then single game tickets will be sold.
Now I know Moncton ain't no NHL type city, but isn't $75/game for pre-season a little high or am I just a country bumpkin on prices.

Yes and No. Yes $75 for a pre-season game is a little high. However, it's not uncommon. Teams don't neccesarily give a break on ticket prices for the pre-season. They'll charge you the same for pre season as for regular season. I think that's the case in most cities though there could be some exceptions. And there might be some 2 for 1 promos and stuff out there as well. So if it's a descent lower-bowl seat then $75 per isn't unusual.

 

[Sotnos]

Yeah, but this isn't even in their regular arena, how can they charge that much? The only thing I can think of is they think it'll sell out if they make the tickets too cheap.

 

[Alpine]

Yes and No. Yes $75 for a pre-season game is a little high. However, it's not uncommon. Teams don't neccesarily give a break on ticket prices for the pre-season. They'll charge you the same for pre season as for regular season. I think that's the case in most cities though there could be some exceptions. And there might be some 2 for 1 promos and stuff out there as well. So if it's a descent lower-bowl seat then $75 per isn't unusual.

I'm sorry you must have missed the in Moncton part. There isn't any upper bowl. There's a bowl and a balcony on one side. The Coliseum only seats 6,400.

 

[Evil Genius]

I'm sorry you must have missed the in Moncton part. There isn't any upper bowl. There's a bowl and a balcony on one side. The Coliseum only seats 6,400.

I see. So there are 6,400 seats that would be basically 'lower bowl' seats (view-wise) in a normal sized NHL venue.

$75 per seat per game is a bit pricy, especially for a smaller place like Moncton but it's not unprecidented.

 

[Northern Dancer]

The Leafs charge regular season prices for the 4 pre-season games they play at the ACC every year and it is a mandatory purchses for subscribers. From that perspective $75.00 is cheap. However I do not know what they charge for exihibition games outside of the ACC.

 

[MikeC44]

Halifax is hosting NYI/Bos and Leafs/Sens later that week and the package was $130/$100 for both games, depending on upper/lower bowl.
Halifax holds 10000.

Sid and the Penguins are also playing in Halifax vs. NYI, and the price is $85/$70.
I guess the Pens are $20 more expensive.

 

[CarolinaCapsFan]

Where can someone find a copy of the preseason schedule this early?

 

[Evil Genius]

I guess the Pens are $20 more expensive.

You've got to pay a premium for quality you know. They're not St. Louis for pete's sake.

 

[Kevin Forbes]

Sid and the Penguins are also playing in Halifax vs. NYI, and the price is $85/$70.
I guess the Pens are $20 more expensive.

That $20 bucks is the Crosby tax. He's from Cole Harbour, people around here will pay it.

 

[Drake1588]

Purely supply and demand. It's presumably $75 a ticket per game because they figure the market will bear it. Likewise, their marketing must figure that the increase in fans triggered by a lower per seat cost won't make up the shortfall, compared to a lower turnout but the higher price. Of course, that's assuming they have their ducks in a row from a marketing standpoint. That may be asking a lot, but that's the way they ought to have proceeded.

Seems high, but then the NHL doesn't make it to Moncton very often either. I can see how a fan who shells out that kind of coin would be miffed if the teams show and they rest their stars to give all the prospects a long look, though. Then again, provided Crosby plays, it might not matter who else is on the ice.

As to what they can and can't do... they can charge whatever they want, and fans can elect to show or not.

 

[StevenintheATL]

It's called supply and demand. The arena owners know that folks in those areas will gladly spend $75 to see an NHL game played in their home arena, even if it's a preseason exhibition game.

Here in Atlanta, the home preseason games cost the same as any other game. The only preseason game that they have cheap tickets for is a morning game they hold for local schools (tickets for the game are not even available to the general public).

On a related note, whatever happened to the NHL playing some regular season neutral site games? In Atlanta during the years between the Flames leaving and the Omni being torn down to build Philips, there was just about every year either a preseason NHL game (when the Knights were here, Tampa Bay would play a game here since the Knights were their IHL affiliate) or a regular season game. This is how I saw my first NHL back in 1993 (Pittsburgh v. Boston).

 

[Transported Upstater]

That $20 bucks is the Crosby tax. He's from Cole Harbour, people around here will pay it.

 

[ScottyBowman]

Ripoff. I wouldn't even pay $150 for 50 preseason games. The money is better saved for nhl center ice because preseason anything sucks.

 

[Puckclektr]

You could also drive to Montreal or Boston and maybe pay a little less for a ticket. Then factor in gas, food and hotel. Just be lucky they are coming to Moncton. There are hundreds of other cities that would love to have them play there.

 

[Dolemite]

Just reading this AM's paper, Penguins will be here, Moncton, for a four day mini-camp Sept 18-21st followed by Penguins/TBA Sept 21 and Bruins/Islanders Sept 22.
Tickets are only being sold as a package of $150 for both games, unless they don't sell-out, then single game tickets will be sold.
Now I know Moncton ain't no NHL type city, but isn't $75/game for pre-season a little high or am I just a country bumpkin on prices.

Well, where are the seats close to the ice or nose bleeds? Is there anything included with the price (Parking, t-shirt, etc)?

 

[Tokyo Bucks]

Wonder how the attendance will be at all those games in Moncton and Halifax (among other non-NHL cities). NHL teams aren't exactly the best at marketing.

 

[CarolinaCapsFan]

Just for comparison, when Atlanta and Nashville played a preseason game in Richmond VA a couple of years ago, glass level seats were around 25$ apiece.

 

[Tokyo Bucks]

I guess that's the difference between trying to capture new fans and trying to maximize income during preseason by giving some hardcore fans their fix (and the Kid's homecoming is nice PR). I suppose they're both trying to maximize profit looking at the big picture.