Report indicates that a small segment of season ticket holders are being blocked from renewing for next season.
Report indicates that a small segment of season ticket holders are being blocked from renewing for next season.
The Buffalo Sabres may have some concerns about losing season ticket holders after likely missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 13th straight season, but a report in the Buffalo News on Monday is indicating that a small percentage of fans may be prevented from renewing for next season due to a New York State law against reselling tickets.
The Sabres sent an e-mail to fans who comprise less than 1% of their season ticket base that “in light of the recent ticket reseller laws” passed by the NY state legislature in 2022, those who sell a high percentage of their games on the secondary market would have to purchase a license from the state to be able to purchase their season tickets.
The law is aimed at fans who have purchased tickets for the specific purpose of reselling seats for profit, but it is said that it would not impact those who are selling them at cost or less than cost.
Some fans have purchased season seats to get around the club’s variable pricing plan for individual game tickets and sold off whatever games they could not or did not want to go to. Others sell off high-demand games such as Saturday’s 3-2 shootout victory to Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers or against division rivals Montreal and Toronto to reduce the financial burden.
This is the second hurdle raised against fans interested in purchasing tickets in Buffalo in the last year. Last September, the club proposed limiting the presale of individual game tickets to buyers within a certain radius to make it more difficult for opposing team fans to have a significant presence in Buffalo.
That limitation has not succeeded in keeping fans cheering for the other club from gaining entry this season. It does appear that the state and the club would prefer to see seats empty or go unused rather than to have them sold by someone other than them.
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