Florida Panthers Restrict Ticket Sales to Non-US Residents for Playoff Games Against Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs fans hoping to catch a playoff game against the Florida Panthers in person may face unexpected hurdles. According to a notice on Ticketmaster’s website, tickets for the second round series will be restricted to residents of the United States for the first 24 hours of sales.

Ticketmaster says that residency will be determined based on customers’ credit card billing address. In other words, anyone who tries to purchase a ticket for the playoff games at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, without a U.S. address before the first 24 hours is up will have their order cancelled and be issued a refund.

The restriction does not apply to season-ticket holders who already have passes to the game. Therefore, the resale market isn’t affected by the policy.

As of 11 a.m. Monday, tickets for Game 3 in Florida were already on sale, and some pairs were listed on sites like StubHub for as little as $244 each. This price is less than half of what a ticket to Game 1 in Toronto will cost you at $528.

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Florida Panthers stated that the decision to limit ticket sales was made to give “local fans first access” to the game. After the initial 24 hours have passed, anyone can buy a ticket regardless of their residency.

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time that an NHL team has tried to restrict visiting fans from buying tickets. In 2013, the Ottawa Senators offered fans 15% off tickets to upcoming home games against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, provided that the tickets weren’t resold to non-Sens fans. This decision was partly due to the large number of Leafs fans who had been travelling east for their rivals’ home games, thereby adding a significant blue-and-white contingent to the former Scotiabank Place’s red and black.