Edmonton Oilers risk breaking trust with fans by charging too much for tickets: 32 Thoughts says

This in from Kyle Bukauskas, co-host of Canada’s most popular hockey podcast, 32 Thoughts, his thoughtful and careful critique of the new and unhappy trend for the Edmonton Oilers this year, the franchise’s inability to sell out games as it’s done regularly in the past.

Rogers Place has a listed capacity of 18,347 but for a recent game against Utah the announced attendance was 16,167. “That’s the second-lowest total the Oilers have pulled in for a home game since the team moved into its new digs,” reported the Journal’s Steven Sandor, who added, “Outside of the Oct. 24 home sellout when the Toronto Maple Leafs come to town, there are still plenty of tickets on offer for the upcoming homestand.”

All this had Bukauskas wondering about where the NHL’s new revenues are going to come from, especially with new NHL executive committee chairman Ted Leonsis, Washington’s owner, saying he wants to double NHL revenues from $11 billion to $22 billion.

“How are you doing that?” Bukauskas asked. “Where are you doubling that money? … This remains a gate-driven league. I think it’s quite clear if one of the plans is to double ticket prices, for example, that is going to be a non-starter. I mean, the situation up at Edmonton, they have had such a group of loyal fans that lived through that Decade of Darkness.”

Bukauskas then talked about how ticket prices shot up so much in Edmonton shot up so much, especially during the two recent runs to the Stanley Cup Final. “That city spent so much money on tickets to go watch the Oilers play. And it gets to the point where you’re going, I’ve maxed out how much I have in my budget for spending. So I think that’s why you see a scene like we had Thursday night with all those empty seats. Because I’d be thinking the same thing.
If I’m an Oilers fan where I’m going, I think the Oilers are pretty good this year. I think they’ve got a chance to be in the playoffs again, to possibly go deep in the playoffs again. So if I’m going to map it out, maybe instead of spending $300 three times during the regular season, I’ll maybe spend $900 and get a chance to go to a big playoff game in the spring. I think there’s that sort of thinking that goes on too.”

Bukauskas then talked about how owners have to keep trust with their customers, their fans. “You cannot completely neglect the bank account of trust you have with your fan base. You cannot let that run empty because then you start to get into some trouble. No matter how good your team is on the ice, eventually your most loyal of fans will say, ‘I’m not doing this anymore or I’m backing off for a bit until things change.’ They’ve got every right to do that. I think regardless of where this all goes, if this is just a blip or if it becomes a further issue, I think it’s just a great reminder around the league. Do not let that bank account of trust with your fan base run empty.”

All this comes at the same time as last January, Forbes magazines Brett Knight and Justin Teitelbaum reported that the Edmonton Oilers were the third most profitable franchise in all of pro sports behind only the Dallas Cowboys and the Golden State Warriors.

The Oilers were estimated to have earned $244 million US in operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) in 2024-25, during their second Cup run. The Oilers were ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which had an operating income of roughly $191 million.

1. The drop in ticket sales isn’t a disaster. It’s a warning signal.

I was an Oilers fan through decades where Edmonton almost lost of its franchise to an American city, and when it lost so many stars, from Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier to Curtis Joseph and Doug Weight, because the team owners determined they simply could not support such expensive players. I don’t forget. I’m glad that under Daryl Katz’s ownership the Oilers have been able to spend to the top end of the salary cap, create a hockey facility at the downtown arena that is second to none in the NHL for Edmonton’s players and fans, and secure this team in Edmonton for decades to come.

2. After the Oilers were bumped out of the playoffs, interest in this team reached a low I hadn’t seen since the Decade of Darkness. There was far less internet chatter, far less discussion. Things started to pick up again in terms of interest when Mike Babcock was hired as coach. And things are picking up again now that the team is winning.

But after the great highs of 2023 and 2024, there’s still some amount of fan fatigue around the Oilers. That’s natural.

3. All that said, it’s also clear that the Oilers are now charging too much for their tickets and the market is pushing back.

This is the great thing about a market system. Katz and his team estimate how much fans are willing to pay for tickets. If they get it right, they make the third most money of any team in pro sports. If they get it wrong, thousands of tickets are left unsold.

They’re getting it wrong at this point. And, by charging so much, they’re also threatening to some extent the good feeling that Edmonton has about the Oilers and this team. As Bukauskas warns, “Do not let that bank account of trust with your fan base run empty.”

The Oilers might well want to think hard about that.

Oilers fans are so crazy in love with this team that they made it one of the most profitable franchises in the entire world.

But the high prices are making some fans wonder if they have been taken advantage of, if they’re getting gouged. No one likes to get gouged. In fact, people start to resent it. It makes them angry.

Katz and the Oilers would do well to think humbly think about this loud signal from their customers and to adjust.

Surely there is room to spend to the cap and field a great team without charging quite so much?

Am I wrong here?