Even the most loyal fans of the Vancouver Canucks may be hanging up their jerseys this week as the team reportedly raised the ticket price for the next season.
Canucks season ticket holders took to social media after receiving a letter from the team, which said it was adding one regular-season game and new benefits next season.
But fans also reported that the price of their seats had risen between 5 to 10 per cent compared to the current season. Others claim to have seen a 25 per cent increase.
“I am personally absolutely floored and shocked that Canucks decided to increase prices for [season ticket holders], when most tickets are going for 50 per cent less on the secondary market,” said one Reddit user on the r/canucks subreddit.
“My lower bowl seats were almost 10 per cent more!”
“My ticket package is $30,000, and while I understand I am in a privileged position to be able to afford… the price is not justified in the product at this time,” said another user.
“The 25 per cent increase in ticket prices without warning was a slap in the face, but I gave it one more year because of how much fun games can be when there’s a winning environment.”
Aaron Tweedy from Half Moon Bay tells 1130 News Radio he may finally give away his seats after being a season ticket holder for seven years.
“Last year, I got to six games out of 21,” says Tweedy. “I gave the rest away. I’d be more likely to go if the team was any good. I mean it’s entertainment and there is not a lot of that. Now, they scaled back on a lot of entertainment…all that said, I mean they’ve raised the prices every year since I’ve been a ticket holder and they haven’t raised a cup.”
Tom Mayenknecht, host of The Sport Market on Sportsnet 650, says, for him, the Canucks have officially hit rock bottom.
“They’ve never finished dead last in the National Hockey League, at least in the modern history of the 32-team circuit,” said Mayenknecht.
“Not only have they lost a vast majority of their games, they’ve only got eight home wins, and if you’re paying for season tickets or….even for a single ticket and almost every time you go, you’re losing, it obviously has an impact on the way you connect to the product.”
Mayenknecht says it’s too early to tell if historically loyal fans are abandoning the Canucks, adding that the team typically sees more than 90 per cent season ticket renewals.
“This time around, the season ticket renewals are going out in the context of this dead-last performance and the fact that the franchise is in a rebuild. The only thing that fixes ticket prices is demand, and if the Canucks do wind up meeting their targets, they’re going to go forward with it. Obviously, the strategy is to try and provide other value as an incentive, but it’s not an easy sell.”
Mayenknecht says there seems to be a disconnect between the team’s hockey and business operations.
“Business [operations] in this letter to season ticket holders, are basically saying ‘the new era of the Vancouver Canucks are here’. The hockey [operations] are basically saying ‘we are in a rebuild and it’s going to take a couple of seasons to get to where we need to be.’”
The Canucks will face off against the Los Angeles Kings at Rogers Arena Thursday night in hopes of boosting their ranking.
1130 NewsRadio has reached out to the Vancouver Canucks for comment.