Florida Panthers Block Canadians from Buying Tickets to Home Games Against Toronto Maple Leafs

The Florida Panthers are trying to limit Canadian fans from buying tickets to support the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Canadians were blocked from buying tickets for the playoff games at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida for the first 24 hours of sales. According to a Florida Panthers spokesperson in a statement to CTV News, the move was made to give “local fans first access” to the game.

A notice on the Ticketmaster site said that the buyer’s residency will be determined based on the credit card billing address. Those who are able to buy tickets without a US address during the 24-hour period will have their orders canceled and payment refunded.

According to CTV News, the restriction will not affect season-ticket holders who already have passes to the game, “which means the resale market isn’t affected by the policy.” Ticketmaster began selling tickets for Game 3 in Florida on Monday at 11 a.m. and there are tickets already listed on resale sites like StubHub for as low as $244 each, less than half the cost of Game 1 tickets in Toronto at $528.

Leafs fans are known to travel to opponents’ home games. In 2013, after Leafs fans made a strong showing, the Ottawa Senators offered fans extra tickets at 15% off for home games against Leafs and the Canadiens with the condition that they weren’t resold to non-Sens fans.

Information for this story was found via CTV News, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.