If you search Ticketmaster\u2019s website for Games 3 and 4 of the Edmonton Oilers\u2019 first round playoff series against the Ducks, you\u2019ll see many sections at Anaheim\u2019s Honda Center highlighted in blue, a sign that there\u2019s still decent seat availability.<\/p>\n
But will Oilers fans swoop in from north of the border and snap up those seats?<\/p>\n
Early indications are that they won\u2019t. It\u2019s not that they don\u2019t love their Oilers enough. It\u2019s just that there are so many other factors at play that are keeping them away from Southern California.<\/p>\n
NewWest Travel offers Oilers travel packages, but interest in Anaheim has been low.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s surprising,\u201d said associate manager Kari-Lynn Stanners. \u201cWe didn\u2019t get a lot of calls for Anaheim travel. I mean, we got a few, but not like in the past years, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stanners believes that there are a lot of factors at play. Some of it may come from the fact that the Oilers have been on two extended playoff runs over the past two seasons, and fans are simply tapped out. Some of it comes from the rising cost of flights, and the weakness of the Canadian dollar. And then there\u2019s the movement to not support American business as long as President Donald Trump threatens tariffs and refers to Canada as a potential 51st state.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the extra costs and the dollar and everything combined, I think it\u2019s probably factoring into people\u2019s decisions,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd maybe there\u2019s a little bit of playoff fatigue, I don\u2019t know. It\u2019s been a lot of travel and a lot of rounds in the last few years. So, that plays into it, too.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd maybe people just waiting to see the Oilers go further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s face it, in Oil Country, round one can sort of feel a bit like a dress rehearsal now. And, yes, with big fish like the Colorado Avalanche potentially lurking in the later rounds, it might be easy for fans to look past the Ducks, despite the Honda Center being a stone\u2019s throw from Space Mountain.<\/p>\n
We punched in a travel search for Anaheim, leaving Edmonton on April 24, returning April 27. Expedia shows cheapest options at just under $2,000 Canadian for flights and hotel. That doesn\u2019t include price of tickets; the cheapest ones in Anaheim will set you back about $240 US each.<\/p>\n
Tim Macdonell, the CEO of Elite Sports Tours, said interest in hockey travel is down, but there\u2019s still a significant number of Oilers fans who will be heading to Anaheim.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have seen some softening in cross-border travel interest among Canadian hockey fans compared to previous playoff runs,\u201d Macdonell wrote in an email. \u201cPolitical tensions and the exchange rate are factors some fans are weighing, but the core of the Oilers\u2019 travelling fanbase remains passionate about following the team on the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Games 3 and 4 in Anaheim, we\u2019re still seeing meaningful interest in packages. Oilers fans have consistently been among the most dedicated travelling supporters in the league, and a playoff series with this much on the line tends to bring out the die-hards regardless of broader travel trends.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said he expects demand to grow as the Oilers progress in the playoffs.<\/p>\n
Mike Waterman, the president and CEO of Visit Anaheim, said he\u2019s optimistic that the playoff series will bring Oilers fans south.<\/p>\n
\u201cCanada remains one of Anaheim\u2019s top two international markets and we know firsthand that fans will travel and plan entire trips around moments like the Stanley Cup playoffs,\u201d Waterman wrote in an email.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile broader economic factors are always part of the equation, the passion of hockey fans, especially in markets like Edmonton, continues to drive strong interest in once-in-a-lifetime experiences. This series is a great opportunity to welcome Canadian visitors and showcase everything Anaheim has to offer beyond the rink.\u201d<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
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