As recently as last season, Carolina wouldn’t be too high on the home ice advantage power rankings. Known for low attendance, PNC Arena certainly didn’t intimidate many opposing teams to play in. It also didn’t help that the Hurricanes weren’t exactly a powerhouse team.
All that has changed this season. The ‘Canes used a revamped social presence and a new attitude on and off the ice to make home games a little extra fun for fans. Stunts like their now famous “Storm Surges” has helped to increase attendance and interest in the same way that “Smashville” made the Nashville Predators a fun team to be a fan of.
In the same proportional impact that their losing ways hurt their cause, the ‘Canes winning ways and playoff berth this season has helped their cause. So much so that a very unexpected thing has happened.
The ‘Canes are competing in a 1st round matchup against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Against what anyone would have thought last season, the ‘Canes ticket prices are dramatically higher than the Caps.
At the time of this writing, the cheapest ticket you can get for Game 4 on TicketMaster is over $200 US. While the immediacy does play a factor, and Game 5 not set to go until Saturday, you can literally get a ticket for a lesser price to Saturday’s game in the lower bowl.
They aren’t just more expensive. They are MUCH more expensive.
Again, the ‘Canes home game being two games before the Caps home game does make a difference, but the cheapest tickets in Washington are $90 US. Who would have thought the defending Stanley Cup Champions ticket prices would be so much lower that the Carolina Hurricanes?
(H/T u/Zack9764)
