Why has NHL attendance dropped so dramatically?

Attendance is down across the NHL.

Some markets remain strong, but many teams are struggling. If you watch most NHL games, you’ll see tons of empty seats. The Edmonton Oilers had over two thousand empty seats at a recent game against Utah; Vegas recently broke its nine-year streak of selling out. Both of these organizations have elite teams with top players and had no trouble filling seats in the past. The Oilers have the best hockey player in the world, maybe ever, and they can’t fill their building.  Tyler Yaremchuk spoke about attendance on Daily Faceoff Live:

I saw this from Puck Report NHL, of the 16 home games, because remember on Tuesday every single team in the NHL played, there were just as many teams that were sub-90 per cent attendance as there were at 100 per cent and sold out, which I just think is crazy. The Blue Jackets were at 75 per cent, the Islanders were at 79 per cent, the Senators were at 82 per cent, the Sharks were at 82 per cent. Last night in Edmonton, they were at 82 per cent capacity for a Thursday night game. Usually those sell well.

So what has gone wrong? Why are fans not showing up at NHL games?

Weak Economy

North America’s economy is weak, and the cost of living has risen dramatically. Gas prices have caused increases in many other sectors of the Canadian and American economies. Grocery prices are soaring, and fans’ disposable income has diminished. The average person can’t afford to buy tickets to NHL games at the best of times, and that’s gotten even less likely in the current economic climate.

Overpriced Tickets

The cost to go to a game has gone through the roof. On Ticketmaster, standard seating can cost $50 to $190 to watch the Edmonton Oilers. Gametime’s cheapest resale tickets for a game against Vancouver started at $81. Fanfirst resale prices were $91 for Upper Bowl, $188 for Lower Bowl, and $300 for Premium. For a family to go to an Edmonton game, it costs hundreds or thousands of dollars; it’s just not feasible for most fans.

Toronto has the highest prices in the league. According to an article on Toronto.com, the cheapest Ticketmaster tickets for opening night cost $239. Lower bowl started at $300, 100-Level tickets started at $621, and Marquee tickets went from $1100 to $2000. The average Maple Leafs ticket costs about $373.50.

It’s cheaper for Canadian fans to fly to many U.S. cities and watch a game than to go to a game in their hometown.

Concession/Parking Costs

Some of the most ridiculous prices are what teams are charging for food, beverages, and parking. A beer at Rogers Place in Edmonton can cost upwards of $26.50. How is $30 for a beer reasonable? The highest prices are at Madison Square Garden, the home of the New York Rangers. According to a Timeout.com article, a beer, soda, and two hot dogs cost $96 USD. Getting to the games is expensive too. Parking in Edmonton’s Ice District can cost anywhere from $10 to $30.

$20 Million Contracts

While fans can’t afford to go to games, top players are now making $20 million a year. The minimum NHL salary of $850,000 a year will rise to a million dollars in 2029-30. Every single player will be a millionaire. Clearly, the players should be compensated as they’re the stars, but the numbers are still shocking. The disparity between the average fan struggling to pay bills and enormous contracts is creating a rift between athletes and fans.

Questionable Officiating

The NHL has had questionable officiating for many years, turning off hardcore and casual fans alike. On November 5th in Edmonton, superstar Connor McDavid was hit into the goalpost after he skated past a defender. A professionally run league would have ejected the player who delivered the cheap shot. Instead, the Oilers were penalized for policing the situation. The referees had completely lost control of the game. Then a penalty was called on Leon Draisaitl for criticizing a referee. If this happened every game, teams would always be shorthanded. It happens all the time and wouldn’t happen if players felt the referees were doing their job.

In a recent Canucks game, a player stole the puck and scored a goal on a breakaway. Everyone watching in the arena and on TV knew it was a good goal. Somehow a penalty was called on the Vancouver forward, and the goal was waved off.

Every night, NHL referees appear to game-manage instead of calling penalties. Penalty calls always seem to even out, thus creating more competitive games and more parity in the league. This way, less talented teams can compete. If one team gets two or three power plays, its highly likely the opposing team will get the next call.

Confusing Broadcasting Situation

Another factor is the ridiculous state of broadcasting sports around the world. Watching a hockey game used to be simple, but it’s not anymore. You need to pay for overpriced Sportsnet Plus and Amazon Prime to see all the Oilers’ games this year. It’s very confusing with different streaming services and cable companies broadcasting different games. Throw in the bizarre North American time zones, and you need to be part minotaur to find your way through the maze. This convoluted broadcasting web turns off fans who might attend a game in person.

At the same time, more people than ever have big-screen TVs. The HD quality is so good, it’s almost like being at the game. Why go and pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to go to the rink when you can watch at home?

The NHL must act

It’s time for the NHL to make some changes. Some factors are out of their control, but they could do a lot more for their fans. Obviously, ticket prices aren’t appropriate considering the state of the economy. The league should be doing whatever it can to deliver a reasonably priced, quality product.