"On the Glass" Seating is the Biggest Scam in Hockey. Who is the Business Genius that Convinced Fans to Pay a Premium for It?

[tucker3434]

I think it’s an interesting perspective that you’ll never get on TV. I wouldn’t want season tickets on there. As a one-off, it’s fun.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Another experience.....before internet ticketing, I was going to Toledo to visit my mother and wanted to take in a Walleye game. She phoned in and following my instructions got me the 'best seats available" for pickup at will call. On the way over, the bridge went up for a freighter and I was late, waiting in the concourse at my section for a break where they let the crowd up. I saw a guy up there in full uniform and wondered how crazy that fan was. When I got to my seat it was on the end of the bench. I even opened the gate for them a few times. I saw/heard the coach tell some young kid to go argue with the ref on a call, him going, ref waving him off, and him coming back to the bench.

One of the advantages of minor league hockey, I guess. A fun one off.

 

[John Price]

Hard to see from there

Better to sit back a few rows to see more

 

[LT]

I think it’s an interesting perspective that you’ll never get on TV. I wouldn’t want season tickets on there. As a one-off, it’s fun.

My thoughts exactly. I've done it a few times and it is a completely different experience IMO. I think every fan should experience the game from each of the glass and press box at least once.

 

[Bonk]

When Miami University opened Goggin Ice Center in 2006, we got into the STH pool and there was a tiered system for picking seats in person. We had the lowest priority since we were new and not big donors, so we chose the front row even with the defensive zone faceoff circles for two periods, and we've been there ever since.

One of the cool things about our rink is the seating is elevated about a foot to give a better all-around view, and it's actually raised slightly more in the corners to make those seats better, too.

Not saying I'd pay a premium for them, and given a choice, yeah, center ice 15 rows up is definitely better, but I still really like our seats. It's certainly a unique perspective, and great for power plays. Our only blind spot is the near boards at the opposite end of the ice, but I pivot my head to the video screen when the puck goes there.

I do regularly go to standing room for the third period if Miami is trailing.

 

[ColinM]

I think the seats along the boards that are in the corners or behind the net are awesome. I wouldn't want the seats that are between the faceoff circles.

 

[The Hockey Tonk Man]

They are charging HOW MUCH for AHL tickets?

Seems about $41/game for season tickets down at the glass.
I don't think that's bad at all..

 

[cptjeff]

In college, I always used to sit on the first row inside the corner. While looking down the ice along the boards on most glass seats results in a really distorted and mostly impossible view, in the corners you're effectively inside the field of play visually. Absolutely no limit to what you can see, it's genuinely amazing. You were at eye level and it genuinely felt like you were on the ice with those guys.

So of course, in most NHL rinks, the corners are staging areas for cheerleaders, ice crews, photographers and whatnot and those seats aren't available for any price. Which is a crying shame.

 

[Mach2]

I've never sat there, but I would think the worst seats are along the row directly behind the players bench.
Years ago I was a staff member of a new ECHL team, and well before the start of the first season I walked around the entire empty arena to select my "perfect seats." They were directly behind the home goal at the high opening where the players and zamboni accessed the ice. It was a fun gig for several seasons.

 

[Yukon Joe]

OK, so I've never sat front row for a pro hockey game. I'm almost always in the nosebleeds.

But when it comes to minor hockey, where you can sit wherever you want, yeah, sometimes I like standing right up against the glass. It's just a very different perspective. The game can feel very much more - real. It's not like you're watching on tv at all - you can feel like you're almost part of the action.

Yes, it's hard to see when the action is at the other end of the rink. But getting that real sense of physicality of the sport can be worth it.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

OK, so I've never sat front row for a pro hockey game. I'm almost always in the nosebleeds.

But when it comes to minor hockey, where you can sit wherever you want, yeah, sometimes I like standing right up against the glass. It's just a very different perspective. The game can feel very much more - real. It's not like you're watching on tv at all - you can feel like you're almost part of the action.

Yes, it's hard to see when the action is at the other end of the rink. But getting that real sense of physicality of the sport can be worth it.

Now this is reasoning I can get behind.

Different sport, but while I was attending the University of Montana I was in the front row of the student section for every football game. It was insane. So much atmosphere, so much fun, and the worst possible view of the field...but I was a college student, I was there to be a part of the atmosphere and not for the best view. I'd never, ever sit that close for a NFL game. Hell, with the way that stadium is built I don't think it's possible to get any closer to the playing field as you can at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, which made seeing anything happening on the other side of the field impossible from the front rows...but with an atmosphere like that it was really hard to care. Come FCS playoff time, however, I usually did sit a bit higher up for the better view.

With hockey...no seat will ever top the season tickets that cost $15 a pop at the Igloo in F15 as far as I'm concerned. First row of the top balcony behind where the Penguins shot twice. Hell, ignore the cost aspect and the only seats in that arena I'd have switched to would have been center ice 10-12 rows up. Drop me in a college that actually had a hockey team, though, and I'd have been right on the glass.

The closest I've ever sat to the glass for a full game was second row and I utterly hated it...though cost definitely played a role. Those college games were 'free' (read: part of tuition) so there was no extra expense involved in sitting so close. Paying 4-5x what I normally would for a terrible view just made me grumpy.

 

[Whalers Fan]

I think the seats along the boards that are in the corners or behind the net are awesome. I wouldn't want the seats that are between the faceoff circles.

A friend of my wife's had her season ticket seats for the Plymouth Whalers (OHL) on the glass in the corner, and she loved that spot. We sat down there with her a couple of times, and it was a unique perspective. However, I prefer our location at center ice, 12 rows up. We kept those same seats when USA Hockey's NTDP bought the arena, relocated from nearby Ann Arbor, and the Whalers relocated to Flint.

Personally, I think that the NHL outdoor games are a bigger price gouge than glass seating. You pay an inflated ticket price for a seat so far away from the action that the only way to closely follow the game is by watching it on the stadium scoreboard. It's basically paying a high price to watch the game on a big screen TV. At least with the glass seating, you are right next to the action.

 

[JMCx4]

I've never sat there, but I would think the worst seats are along the row directly behind the players bench. ...

Sat there once in Worcester many years ago, due to the arena's screwy row numbering system. Those would have been good seats if my wife & I enjoyed watching the players spit & get their facial lacerations stitched up.

 

[ColinM]

A friend of my wife's had her season ticket seats for the Plymouth Whalers (OHL) on the glass in the corner, and she loved that spot. We sat down there with her a couple of times, and it was a unique perspective. However, I prefer our location at center ice, 12 rows up. We kept those same seats when USA Hockey's NTDP bought the arena, relocated from nearby Ann Arbor, and the Whalers relocated to Flint.

Personally, I think that the NHL outdoor games are a bigger price gouge than glass seating. You pay an inflated ticket price for a seat so far away from the action that the only way to closely follow the game is by watching it on the stadium scoreboard. It's basically paying a high price to watch the game on a big screen TV. At least with the glass seating, you are right next to the action.

Our family used to have similar season seats for the Saint John Flames (AHL). Being close to an entrance and exit was a cherry on top.

 

[Roomtemperature]

Before the pandemic I used to play trivia at a place where they had a monthly prize of 4 Devils tickets that were three rows up and in that area next to the the penalty box and time keeper. So much distortion. At least we got club access and got to eat free food. Also we sold like half of it since they would net us like 100 bucks a ticket.

Still its a good way to experience the speed of how fast everything is in the neutral zone