The Increasing Inaccessibility of Hockey
The Fastest Game on Ice is also more expensive than most of its off-ice counterparts.
In these increasingly volatile times, many of us will turn to various distractions to help us get through each day. Sporting events have been a welcome distraction for eons now, and there is no better sport to turn to (in my humble opinion, anyway) than hockey. It is fast, kinetic, and just plain fun. Watching it is exciting…especially with the right crowd, and playing is just as fun with a good group around you.
I’ve been a hockey fan for as long as I can remember, and have played it in some capacity almost as long. If you’re reading this, chances are you fit into one or both of these categories yourself. Also, you understand that hockey fandom comes with a certain degree of financial pain.
I am the son of a bricklayer and a school cafeteria worker, so money was tight for our family growing up. While I was never left wanting, it did mean I was unable to do some things I wanted because of the high cost required.
Going to an NHL game was too cost-prohibitive. I grew up in a rural area about an hour west of Philadelphia, and I wanted so badly to go to Flyers games as a kid. My parents were able to afford a couple of games at the minor league Philadelphia (now Lehigh Valley) Phantoms, but I didn’t get to go to a Flyers game until I was 13 and my Dad was given tickets to the season opener that year. I still remember how excited I was to be there, and also my Dad expressing his disbelief over the cost of parking, concessions, etc.
This also says nothing about what it costs to actually play the sport, which is a whole other beast.
I feel like you could say this about just about anything these days, but it’s never been more expensive to be a hockey fan.
This was something that came to mind for me as I was listening to my pal Sammi Silber give a radio interview on Wednesday, where she was asked about the recent upgrades being done to Washington’s Capital One Arena, and what was being done for the common fan, as the arena is set to open new luxury suites (among other upgrades) later this year.
Indeed, these are excellent questions for everyone to ask. Most fans don’t have the money for luxury boxes and suites; these are often purchased by corporate buyers anyway. And for a team like the Capitals, attending a game even in the upper deck isn’t particularly cheap. I can personally attest to this, as two upper-level tickets (literally the top row) cost me well over $300. In fact, an Axios article from March 2022 ranked the Capitals in the top 10 most expensive games for a family of four to attend.
It makes some sense that Washington would be so expensive, considering they’ve been a very successful team over the past two decades. And market/location also plays into what teams charge. The Maple Leafs have long been one of the most expensive tickets in the NHL (and only got more expensive), but Toronto is also the NHL’s largest and most profitable fan base. Other teams high up on that list, like the Rangers, Boston, and Montreal, also follow suit as larger and storied franchises that can command higher ticket prices. Vegas is also a tourism hotspot, so their high ranking makes some sense in that context.
But also, being a blue-collar working-class fan of any of these teams means you are potentially priced out of a night of fun in the stands with your friends or family cheering on your club.
It’s also worth pointing out that the NHL ranked at No. 2 on the list of most expensive fan costs across all of the major leagues, beaten only by the NFL. Which makes little sense when you remember that hockey is certainly a niche sport with less mass-market appeal than the NFL, NBA, or even MLB. Perhaps only MLS (futbol) is more niche in North America.
An article from The Athletic went a step further and accounted for all of the extra costs to watch hockey from the comfort of your own home, which is a whole other can of worms. Taking into account the NHL’s absurd and obtuse streaming strategy (some games are on ESPN+, some are on Max/TNT, unless they’re on ESPN proper, while some are also on Amazon Prime, and this all may black out your local broadcast. There are probably some games on other streaming services like Tubi, Flurbo, Porlax, and Grog Prime), the average team-agnostic hockey fan can expect to pay upwards of $30-$40 a month for streaming privileges. Some teams offer their own local streaming options, the NHL offers NHL.tv as well, and then there’s whatever options Canada offers its hockey fans.
Confused? Me too. And I’m a hockey nut who looks for this stuff.
Not every team is quite as expensive…with some teams like Columbus, Carolina, and Buffalo being much more affordable compared to the top end of the list, although that’s also relative to the fanbase.
And to their credit, some teams are doing more to make games affordable for everyone. For instance, the Seattle Kraken is taking some steps to reduce overall costs for fans, which is commendable. And perhaps some competition from the PWHL will do them some good; the PWHL makes all of their games (including playoffs) free to watch on their site and on YouTube, which is a winning strategy to grow your brand and game.
Sadly, this isn’t a problem that will get any better. As the NHL continues to court high-dollar sponsors and corporate ticket sales, this is an issue that will continue to plague the average fan just trying to catch a game or two every season. Look no further than the turmoil surrounding the Winnipeg Jets, which have relied heavily on fan support since the city doesn’t have the same corporate support as teams like Toronto or Boston.
All I know is that all of the talk from the NHL about growing the game means nothing when those new fans can’t even afford to watch and support their team.