Report: Maple Leafs increasing ticket prices in effort to hurt scalpers

Morgan Rielly skated around the Hurricanes and pick up 2 huge points for the Leafs, leapfrogging them over the Islanders for the final playoff spot.

The fact the Toronto Maple Leafs will be increasing tickets prices won’t surprise hockey fans. The rationale behind the latest price hike, however, might raise some eyebrows.

Season ticket renewals for the team opened Monday and prices will increase between $7-16 per game in season ticket packages.

According to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) chief commercial officer David Hopkinson, this will impact those who sell tickets on the secondary market and ultimately have a positive impact on Maple Leafs fans.

Hopkinson believes the prices on secondary market tickets won’t increase and therefore result in dwindling profits for scalpers, which could mean more tickets being available to fans.

“If we don’t price the tickets appropriately versus what the market is going to pay for them, guess what happens,” Hopkinson told Morgan Campbell of the Toronto Star. “The tickets don’t get cheaper. Just other guys make the money…and that doesn’t help your hockey team. That doesn’t help us get better.”

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The team is also changing its billing cycle from eight months to 12 months with automatic renewals, which according to Hopkinson will also deter scalpers.

“There is a significant arbitrage here that we’ve got to try and close,” Hopkinson added. “Someone’s going to end up with the money, and we’d rather it’s not a guy in a parka.”

The on-ice product has taken a massive leap forward this season, due mostly to the influx of young, burgeoning stars on the team. That means MLSE won’t have any problem selling out the Air Canada Centre in the near future – even with the price increase. According to the Star, the team projects 99.6 per cent of current season ticket holders will renew.

In November, the Maple Leafs were ranked third on Forbes’ list of the most valuable NHL franchises at $1.1 billion behind the New York Rangers ($1.25 billion) and Montreal Canadiens ($1.12 billion).

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