Is it actually worth it for Leafs fans to travel to Florida for Round 2?
Need a little getaway, but don't want to miss any Maple Leafs playoff action? Here's a solution.
Toronto sports fans know all too well how expensive it can be to catch a Maple Leafs or Raptors game at Scotiabank Arena nowadays.
Any Leafs fans eager to get in the building to see their team finally play in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs this year know they'll have to empty their wallets, forcing most to follow along from home — or in Maple Leafs Square — instead.
The cheapest pair of tickets for Game 1 at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday come in at $268 (CAD) each (before taxes and fees) on Stubhub as of this writing, which is steep for a spot in the nosebleeds.
If you want to get closer to the action, you'll have to shell out at least $486 for a ticket in the lower bowl, with most tickets coming in much higher than that.
Tough to justify, no matter how much you love the Maple Leafs.
But would it be cheaper to travel to Florida and catch a game there instead?
While the Panthers restricted ticket sales to U.S. residents only when the sale began on Monday, traveling fans should have no problem purchasing entries on resale sites.
For now, the prices to catch Game 3 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise are comparable to those at Scotiabank Arena, with the cheapest ticket coming in at $244 on Stubhub. You could save around $100 a ticket compared to Toronto if you wanted to sit in the lower bowl, with the cheapest pair currently sitting at $375 each.
While you may not be saving much money on tickets, a trip down to the Sunshine State never hurts if you need a little getaway, all while catching your favourite team make a postseason run.
A round-trip flight from Toronto to Fort Lauderdale on Friday (returning Sunday) would cost between $600-$700 (CAD) on Expedia. A hotel near the arena could cost you between $200 and $350 a night, depending on how much you're willing to spend on accommodations.
So no, it's not necessarily cheaper to travel to Sunrise to watch the Buds take on the Panthers this round, but there may be no better away trip for playoff hockey than this one.
