Nothing New About Capitals Limiting Single-Game SCF Purchases To Only Fans In DC, MD, VA

By ALAN SNEL

LVSportsBiz.com

 

It’s that special time of year in the Stanley Cup playoffs, when some home teams try to fence off their geographic turf from opposition team fans getting into their home arenas.

 

After using this ticket-selling technique against fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the playoffs in Round 2, the Washington Capitals are limiting single-game purchases for Stanley Cup Finals Game 3 to people who live in Washington, D.C. and the bordering states of Maryland and Virginia to try and limit the number of Vegas Golden Knights fans in Capital One Arena for Saturday’s game.

 

That means Vegas Golden Knights fans will be rebuffed if they attempt to purchase single-game tickets on the Capitals’ website for Game 3.

 

 

Don’t feel bad Knights fans. You’re not being being exclusively picked on. Like I mentioned, the Capitals deployed this ticket-buying barrier strategy against the Penguins in Round 2. The Caps knocked off the Pens in seven games, denying the Pittsburgh squad a crack at winning three consecutive Stanley Cups.

 

Caps owner Ted Leonsis has used techniques in the past to try and keep his arena filled with red-clad home fans.

 

But there’s always the secondary ticket market that can be tapped by VGK fans for SCF Game 3 tickets in Washington.

 

And the Capitals have seen the ticket-buying restrictions used against them this playoff season. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Tampa Bay Lightning restricted fans with zip codes outside Florida from buying tickets to watch the Caps play the Lightning in the downtown Tampa arena.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

And they also banned Capitals fans from wearing their red logo gear in luxury lounges and suites.

 

The Lightning’s zip code-ticket sales and dress code strategies are not new either. They have used the zip code restrictions for previous playoff series and restricted Bruins fans from wearing their Boston logo gear in the premium seating areas in Round 2.

 

The Golden Knights have also tried to keep T-Mobile Arena filled with their home fans in steel gray jerseys by allowing season ticket holders to buy home playoff tickets at a lower price if they promise to not re-sell their tickets. 

 

It worked well in Rounds 1 and 2 when a limited number of Kings and Sharks fans were seen in T-Mobile Arena.

 

And even though the Golden Knights invited opposition fans to buy tickets and attend games at T-Mobile Arena during this inaugural regular season because Las Vegas is a visitor and tourist destination, owner Bill Foley would like to see more VGK fans in the home seats for season two.

 

 

Foley told LVSportsBiz.com this week that he thought there were home games in Las Vegas this season where there were too many fans for visiting teams such as the Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks.

 

Follow LVSportsBiz.com on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Contact LVSportsBiz.com founder/writer Alan Snel at asnel@LVSportsBiz.com