The Florida Panthers have made the decision to limit ticket sales for their playoff games to US residents only, sparking controversy and backlash from fans and critics alike. The move, which was announced ahead of the Panthers’ second-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Florida Panthers appear to be taking measures to prevent a potential takeover by Leafs Nation at FLA Live Arena during their second-round playoff series.
Starting Monday at 11 a.m. ET, tickets for the Panthers’ three playoff home games against the Toronto Maple Leafs will be available for purchase. However, only residents of the United States are eligible to buy tickets, according to a note on the Ticketmaster website: “orders by residents outside of the United States will be canceled without notice and refunds given.” Residency, Ticketmaster says, is based on credit card billing address.
After the initial 24 hours has passed, anyone can buy a ticket regardless of their residence, the team confirmed.
A Panthers spokesperson said: “We are giving our local fans first access to tickets to the series for the first 24 hours of the single game ticket on sale. Anyone can purchase tickets on the secondary markets today.”
As of Monday morning, a pair of the most affordable tickets for the first home game of the playoff series in Sunrise, Florida (Game 3), were being sold for $217 on StubHub. This price is still considerably lower than the starting price of $428 for Game 1, set to take place at the Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday.
Limiting ticket sales to US residents only is a common strategy employed by teams to prevent an influx of rival supporters from taking over their home stadium. This approach not only benefits the team’s fan base, but also adds value to the experience for season-ticket holders.
For their second-round playoff series against either the New Jersey Devils or New York Rangers, the Carolina Hurricanes have also implemented a similar policy of restricting ticket sales to residents of the United States.
On the other hand, the Vegas Golden Knights, who will be facing the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, have not implemented any such restrictions on ticket sales.