Tickets Prices High in Hockeytown

Photo courtesy of Flickr user DetroitDerek

Leading into this season's home opener we had an impressive streak of 396 consecutive sold-out regular season games, dating back to December 10, 1996. But that all ended when the Red Wings failed to sell all available tickets for this season's first game.

Is it because the Red Wings haven't been playing well recently? I'd say making the playoffs for 15 consecutive seasons begs to differ.

It's a number of other factors. The Detroit Red Wings did not lower ticket prices after the lockout of 2004-05, which many teams around the league did. That left a bad taste in the mouths of a lot of Wings fans. With the Detroit Tigers playing as well as they have been these past two seasons, that's been a big draw on Michigan's entertainment dollar.

The biggest factor of all: the bad economy here in Michigan is keeping fans away. For a family of four to go to a Wings game, the cheapest seats you can find are $22.00 plus a TicketMaster "convenience charge." Tack on gas and parking... by the time you get drinks, hot dogs and snacks, you are looking in excess of $150.00 for an evening out for that family!

If the Red Wings want to fill those stands again their management needs to drop prices, and give away more seats to schools and charities. Empty seats do not make the Red Wings any money, but if they let someone in for free to fill that seat, they're going to have to pay for parking to get there, and chances are they're going to get hungry and thirsty during the game. making $15-$30 is better than zero any day of the week in my book.