Montreal Canadiens fans paying 25 per cent more to attend games than in 2012

It is costing more and more for Habs fans to enjoy a game at the Bell Centre -- a regular season game at that.

In the past 10 years, the Montreal Canadiens' "fan experience" increased by $111.89 (up 25 per cent) to $552.57. It is the seventh-highest increase in the NHL, as compiled by the U.S. betting report.

The price includes four average-priced tickets, two small beers, four small soft drinks, four regular-size hot dogs, parking for one hour, two game programs and the two least-expensive adjustable-size caps.

Toronto's fan experience is the highest at $697.75 (up 11 per cent), followed by recent expansion teams the Seattle Kraken ($672.89) and Vegas Golden Knights ($649.72).

Concordia economics professor Moshe Lander said the numbers are based on three factors: market size (which relates to cost of living) on-ice (field, court, diamond) success and fan dedication.

"So how much losing would the Montreal Canadiens have to do to isolate their fans versus how much losing do the Arizona Coyotes have to do before they start to lose their fans," said Lander.

Regardless of the factors, the money fans are willing to pay for games regardless of the opponent is surprising for Lander.

"Most of these arenas or stadiums are full," he said. "It's not just that they [owners] are throwing a number out there saying 'I hope you're willing to pay $500, $700, $1,000.' It's that you are paying $500, $700, $1,000... Maybe seeing Colorado as the champs from last year, okay I can maybe get that, but the fact that somebody's paying that amount to see Arizona play? Are you kidding me?" 

Fans in Maple Leaf Square react during first period NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning in Toronto on Thursday, April 27, 2023. Some Toronto bar owners say they are anticipating another day of chaotic excitement on Tuesday as the Maple Leafs begin their second round series on home ice against the Florida Panthers.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Fellow Original Six teams New York Rangers (up 55 per cent to $545.42), Chicago Blackhawks (up 45 per cent to $573.76) and Boston Bruins (up 51 per cent to $569.96) also saw substantial costs increase since 2012.

Of the top seven teams, just the Blackhawks (2013 and 2015) and the Golden Knights (2022) have rewarded those high-paying fans with Stanley Cup wins.

The highest increase since 2012 was the two-time Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning, whose FCI increased 70 per cent over that time from $256.48 to $434.74.

The highest decrease was Canadian franchises Vancouver Canucks (down 6 per cent to $432.13) and the Winnipeg Jets (down 15 per cent to $418.39).

Canadian franchises, Lander explained, have already maxed out what they can charge. 

"A lot of Canadian markets have that in-elastic demand," he said. "We love the game, so owners have probably realized that you can charge top dollar, but the ability to increase that top dollar is constrained."

Vancouver Canucks fans cheer on their team as they take on the Winnipeg Jets in NHL preseason hockey action in Vancouver, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021. Fans return to Rogers Arena for the first time at 50 per cent capacity after 18 months away due to COVID-19 retractions. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Richard Lam

The cheapest deal in the NHL is, unsurprisingly, the Arizona Coyotes at $314.70.

Across the league, the average fan pays about $460 to attend a game, which is on par with the NBA.

If Habs or Leafs fans are feeling depressed at the cost to see their teams play, it might help to look at other leagues.

The Golden State Warriors' FCI increased 183.8 per cent to $740.08 over their decade of domination in the NBA and the Las Vegas Raiders NFL experience costs an average of $738.36 (up 93.3 per cent).

An average NFL fan pays about $600 to attend a game. This number is only expected to rise.

The cheapest fan experience of the four major sports is in Major League Baseball. The most expensive fan experience in the MLB is the Boston Red Sox at $385.37. That is a dollar less than the 22nd most expensive NHL team - The Anaheim Ducks ($386.54).

The average cost to see an MLB game is $204.76.

Arizona sports fans again were at the bottom of the list in baseball, with a family of Diamondbacks fans expected to pay $126.34. 

Lander explained that the low-cost fan experience in baseball is based on the number of home games, size of stadiums, and owners realizing that more money can be made in broadcasting deals than on ticket prices.

For Expos fans hoping for a return of Montreal's teams, this is not good news.

"Baseball has realized that their money is made through TV revenue," said Lander. "Part of the problem that Montreal will face if they want a team back is that the TV market is limited, the number of TV deals that they can cut is limited, the ability to grow its fan base is limited."