Leafs, Raptors are prioritizing season-ticket holders with shrinking capacity

John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Season ticket holders for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors will be prioritized by MLSE as the teams move to 50% attendance at Scotiabank Arena.

The province announced Wednesday that Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs games would operate at reduced capacities to help curb COVID-19 spread.

“Since the province’s announcement late yesterday of venue capacity restrictions effective tomorrow, MLSE’s ticketing operations has been working diligently to comply with these rules as fairly and seamlessly as possible for all ticket holders for upcoming Raptors and Maple Leafs games,” said an MLSE spokesperson.

MLSE STATEMENT ON REDUCED CAPACITY TICKETING PROCESS pic.twitter.com/xHB7g4n4XQ

— MLSE PR (@MLSEPR) December 16, 2021

“In an effort to prioritize and satisfy Season Seat Member commitments, which makes up a significant majority of the venue capacity for each team, all non-Season Seat tickets will be refunded, and tickets will be allocated among Season Seat Members for upcoming games based on the new capacity limits.”

The provincial ruling on attendance capacity will be in place for any sports or entertainment venue that seats over 1,000 people, which includes the Toronto Marlies, Toronto Rock, Toronto Six, Ottawa Senators, and the 17 Ontario Hockey League junior teams based in the province.

The restrictions include facilities such as concert venues; theatres and cinemas; racing venues; meeting and event spaces; studio audiences in commercial film and television production; museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions; casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments; and fair, rural exhibitions, and festivals.

The membership bases for both the Raptors and Maple Leafs will be divided into two groups to “ensure equitable access to games.”

“Ticket allocation among members will be determined randomly, and each group of members will receive tickets based on alternate games between now and mid-January,” the spokesperson said. “Members will be contacted again in January with allocations for the next phase of games based on current public health restrictions.

“All ticket holders will be notified of refund details in the coming days with Raptors members being notified today, and Leafs Members being notified by Tuesday, of ticket allocation details.

“MLSE greatly appreciates the understanding of all ticket holders as we manage this complex process with protecting public health as our top priority.”

MLSE will also introduce “Operation Mask Up (or out),” a policy that will require all attendees to “strictly adhere to all mask-wearing protocols or risk ejection from the building.”

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