Getting absolutely rinsed at Madison Square Garden apparently isn’t limited to whatever happens on the ice. Rangers fans face the NHL’s most expensive concession order, according to a new analysis—and the main culprit? A hot dog.
Casino.org compared concession prices across all 32 NHL arenas this October, adding up one beer, one soft drink and two hot dogs at each venue. At MSG, that order comes to a mind-boggling $96, before you even pay to watch hockey. The Garden’s total includes a $16 beer, an $8 soft drink and two $36 TopDog Five Pounders. The oversized specialty dog comes loaded with shaved beef, peppers, onions, sriracha cheddar and crispy onion strings. (Subtle, it is not.)
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Before you swear off arena food forever, note this caveat: this ranking doesn’t compare identical hot dogs. Researchers used current-season signature dogs where prices were available, substituting standard hot dogs elsewhere. MSG’s extravagant entry therefore competes with some considerably simpler snacks. The $96 figure reflects the study’s chosen basket, not what every Rangers fan should expect to spend.
Photograph: ShutterstockFood concessions at Madison Square Garden
Still, the gap is enough to make you reconsider that second dog. The Los Angeles Kings finish a distant second at $52 for your average hockey-game concessions, followed by the Minnesota Wild at $50. Tampa Bay Lightning fans face a $48 basket, while the Florida Panthers round out the five most expensive at $46.
At the other end, Montreal Canadiens fans get the cheapest order: $20.83 in U.S. dollars for a beer, a soft drink and two Habsdogs. That makes the Rangers’ basket roughly 361% more expensive. You also don’t even have to leave New York State to find a substantially cheaper option. Buffalo Sabres fans’ basket totals $25, including two Sahlen’s hot dogs for $8 combined.
As for washing it all down, MSG shares the study’s highest beer price with the Vegas Golden Knights at $16. Islanders fans aren’t exactly escaping cheaply, either: UBS Arena lists beer at $15.
The lesson for your next Rangers outing? Check which hot dog you’re ordering before casually asking for two. At these prices, your hot dog should at least get its own seat.