Towards the end of last month, we wrote about a survey which ranked all 32 NHL teams in respect of the game day food experience they offered. OLBG.com took into account several factors to uncover which venues offer the best value and highest quality food and drinks options, the Edmonton Oilers did extremely well with Rogers Place ranking sixth overall.
Certainly it helps, when your team plays at one of the premier professional sporting arenas in all of North America. However, this only helps so much, as we've now discovered in another survey involving all 32 NHL teams.
The Action Network has ranked each of the NHL arenas for families, focusing on affordability and family-friendly policies. As per Ben Mendelowitz, they looked at the total cost of a family day out and considered several factors, including four general tickets, two beers, two soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking and child admission policy, to come up with the total cost.
Oilers are average for once
When it was all said and done, the Oilers proved to be the very definition of average, not something you associate with the franchise these days. More specifically, they were ranked 16th-cheapest among all 32 NHL teams, at an overall cost of $404.33 USD. ($549.93 when converted to CAD.)
When you break down the six categories, the Oilers ranked 18th for four tickets, 10th for two beers and 8th for two soft drinks. They also ranked 16th for four hot dogs and third for parking, while their child admission policy was that under twos get in for free.
It is telling, that the category where the Oilers rank worst is the cost of four game tickets. This alludes to the demand for the product on the ice, which is really no surprise when you have the best player in the game and another who regularly ranks among the top 5-10 in the NHL.
Not too bad once you've bought your tickets
However, once you're actually at the arena, the Oilers give you a bit of a break, particularly with the cost of parking, which can often be extortionate. And once you're inside Rogers Place, while the cost of four hot dogs may rank a bit high, the prices for buying drinks is a lot more reasonable.
In terms of the cheapest place to go to watch a hockey, it really should come as no surprise it was Mullett Arena, where the Arizona Coyotes played. What was a slight surprise, was that the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers ranked second, when it came to the cheapest day out for a family of four at an NHL game.
At the other end of the scale, it will be no surprise that the Toronto Maple Leafs charge their fans the most, for the 'privilege' of watching the team play. At a total cost of $703.88 USD ($957.29 CAD), this is a shocking 62.93 percent above the league average.
The Vegas Golden Knights are second for most expensive total cost, while the New York Rangers rank third. Among Canadian teams, the Montreal Canadians are the second-most expensive at ninth overall, while the Ottawa Senators are cheapest at third-best overall.