Hurricanes President Don Waddell said that the team this season is "eliminating free tickets to games." He said, "You can’t have a season-ticket holder hearing someone next to them got in for free. They aren’t usually quiet about it. Two years ago, we were at 3,000 free tickets per game, last year was down to 1,400. Now it’s 650 comps, and those you can’t get away from, for staff and players. Our season tickets dropped the last five years, but did not drop this year. Paid attendance is flat, but the building looks worse for that reason." He added, "It was a tough decision, painful. But it’s the right decision for the long run. People who get free tickets are not going to shell out $150 in the future. It doesn’t happen" (SPORTSNET.ca, 12/7).
KANE & ABLE: In Chicago, Phil Thompson reported the Blackhawks are the "most expensive hockey ticket on the resale market." A Blackhawks game at the United Center "tops the NHL leaderboard with a median resale price of $225, based on sales data from the beginning of the season" through last Wednesday. SeatGeek data showed that the Blackhawks also "hold the lead in driving up prices in other markets, fetching an average resale price of $123 at road games" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/4).
ISLE SEAT: In N.Y., Larry Brooks noted the Islanders "had a lower average attendance" at Nassau Coliseum five years ago (11,059) than they do at Barclays Center this year (12,635). While it "isn’t perfect at Barclays and the obstructed views are less than optimal in the basketball-centric house that seemed like a pretty good home to the Islanders" for last Wednesday’s game against the Rangers, the view is "sure a lot less obstructed than it would be with the franchise in Quebec or Seattle" (N.Y. POST, 12/6).
