Ottawa Senators shutting down scalpers trying to resell playoff tickets to Toronto Maple Leafs fans
Toronto Maple Leafs fans have had a pretty standard tradition every time their team plays on the road in Ottawa.
Just as they do in Buffalo, Detroit, and let’s be frank, a pretty large contingent of the arenas around the NHL, Leafs fans have a tendency to outnumber the home crowd whenever they play in Ottawa.
But the Senators themselves are well aware of this tactic, and it appears that the team is fighting back against those trying to resell tickets to Leafs fans for the playoff games slated to be played between the two teams at the Canadian Tire Centre next week.
Janson Duench reported in the Ottawa Citizen that the Senators cancelled 125 of the recently signed-up 902 season ticket holders for next season, as they were deemed “garage brokers” — a fancy term for scalpers outside of the Ottawa region.
It’s the first playoff Battle of Ontario since 2004, and the first one with such a robust online resale marketplace that has made attending road games easier for Leafs fans.
Much of the Senators’ strategy was also directed at giving early access to Senators fans with pre-existing season ticket memberships, aiming to limit the number of visiting fans in Leafs jerseys.
“The last time we played Toronto, there was only one seller — that was us, and there were thousands of buyers, the fans. Now there are multiple sellers and buyers, so the market dictates pricing and strategies, and as somebody that has inventory, we gotta respond to that and be careful with that,” Senators president Cyril Leeder told Duench.
At press time, the cheapest ticket available on reseller StubHub for Ottawa’s first home game is $418. For comparison, it’s $369 in Toronto for the Leafs-Senators Game 1 this Sunday.
Leafs vs. Senators playoff schedule
Game 1: Senators at Maple Leafs, Sunday, April 20, 7 p.m. EDT
Game 2: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Game 3: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m. EET
Game 4: Maple Leafs at Senators, Saturday, April 26, 7 p.m. EDT
Game 5: Senators at Maple Leafs, Tuesday, April 29, TBD
Game 6: Maple Leafs at Senators, Thursday, May 1, TBD
Game 7: Senators at Maple Leafs, Saturday, May 3, TBD
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