When the Maple Leafs move into the Air Canada Centre on
February 20, the team's gate receipts will rise more than
C$400,000 a game -- more than C$16M "prorated over a full
season -- thanks to ticket-price increases," according to
Tim Wharnsby of the TORONTO SUN. The Leafs' ticket prices
will increase 10-20%, pushing the average price to C$72.86,
"third in the league behind the Rangers and Bruins based on
average ticket prices last year." The Leafs were 21st in
the league in '97-98 with an average of C$47.30. The team
also will draw a one-time C$15,000 PSL and a C$2,500 annual
membership for each of the 1,500 platinum club seats. It
projects that the charges will bring in C$22.5M and C$3.75M,
respectively (TORONTO SUN, 6/19). Leafs GM Ken Dryden: "If
we didn't have 1,500 seat licenses, everyone else in the
building would be paying more. This helps us considerably"
(TORONTO STAR, 6/19). In Toronto, Steve Simmons examines
the ticket increases: "They say they're trying to win hockey
games. It looks to me like they're trying to pay for a new
building -- and fast" (TORONTO SUN, 6/19).
