Stanley Cup Tickets 2x More Expensive in NY
When you’re talking about sports and media markets, it doesn’t get any bigger than New York – Los Angeles. Manhattan versus Hollywood. The Big Apple taking on Tinseltown. And that’s exactly the matchup the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals has produced, with the upstart New York Rangers from the Eastern Conference surging to their first Finals appearance in 20 years to face the Los Angeles Kings, qualifying for their second Finals in three seasons. And while the Rangers seem the wild card in this year’s Finals mix given the Kings’ notable appearances in three straight Western Conference Finals, these two teams have more in common than many people may realize.
Yes, the Rangers are making their first bid for Lord Stanley’s Cup since their legendary run behind Mark Messier in 1994, but they just made their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the last three seasons. They needed two Game 7 wins to escape their conference, but that’s actually one fewer do-or-die game than the more highly regarded Kings. And while Kings goalie Jonathon Quick is heralded as both a Stanley Cup winner and proven Olympic competitor, the Rangers’ man between the pipes is regarded as freaking royalty–how can you go wrong when “King Henrik” has your back?
Your first thought may be that these two cities–with celebrities, executives, and other folks with big bankrolls calling either town home–also exist on the same playing field for the cost to get your hands on coveted Stanley Cup Finals tickets. But on that note, you’d be wrong, because Rangers fans are suiting up in their blue sweaters and shelling out as much green as we’ve ever seen. Game 3 and 4 in NY are the most expensive opening Finals games (meaning Games 1-4) we’ve recorded at any venue since we started tracking the resale market in the 2009-10 season. The previous high was set in Vancouver in 2011 at $858 per ticket for Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins. They’re easily the most expensive tickets we’ve seen for any event at Madison Square Garden. Tickets for Game 3 are averaging $1,626 on the secondary market and Game 4 tickets are going for $1,703, far exceeding the previous high of $1,026 per ticket for the 12.12.12 Concert for Hurricane Sandy Relief.
New York Rangers – Los Angeles Kings Tickets
There’s a huge gap between ticket prices in Los Angeles and New York. The average price paid for a Game 1 ticket at Staples Center thus far is $679, less than half the average cost of a Game 3 ticket at MSG ($1,626). You can find a seat for Game 1 on Wednesday starting at $495 right now, while the cheapest Game 3 ticket on the market is listed at $1,087. This disparity exist despite the fact that prices in LA are already higher this year for Game 1 than they were for the Kings’ first Stanley Cup Finals game during their 2012 title run. The average price for Game 1 against the Rangers is $679, 8% higher than an average of $627 for Game 3 against the New Jersey Devils.
The difference in ticket prices is so great, in fact, that a Rangers fan could fly from New York to LA, book a one-night stay at the Crowne Plaza, buy two tickets for Game 1, and still save on the cost of purchasing two tickets to Game 3 or 4 at the Garden. Midweek connecting flights from Newark Airport to LAX start at $490, a one-night stay at the Crowne Plaza is available for $113, and two Game 1 tickets can be yours for about $1,000. Meanwhile, the cheapest pair of tickets to Game 3 next Monday at MSG would cost a total of $2,174.
