Hockey is a rapidly growing sport in the US. In particular, more children are playing and becoming avid fans of the sport. However, is attending a hockey game even affordable for the average family? Depending on where you live, the answer may vary.
Ahead of the NHL season, the team at Action Network ranked the cheapest (and most expensive) NHL’s team stadiums for families, focusing on concessions, parking, and ticket costs. First, let’s take a look at the most affordable NHL stadiums for families and some pricing that stands out.
Key Takeaways
- The Buffalo Sabres’ KeyBank Center offers the cheapest NHL experience at $457.32.
- There are only three NHL stadiums where the average family of four can attend for under $500.
- The New York Rangers are the most expensive NHL team for families to attend live, with an average of $1,296.88 for four tickets.
- Canada Life Centre, home of the Winnipeg Jets, offers the cheapest beer in the NHL at around $6.
- Last year’s most affordable NHL team for families, the Arizona Coyotes, now the Utah Mammoths, is one of the most expensive. Last year, a family of four could attend for around $285.36; now the cost is $956.98.
The Cheapest NHL Stadiums For Families
1. Buffalo Sabres — KeyBank Center
Total Cost: $457.32
4 Tickets: $375.84
Concessions: $62.37
Parking: $19.11
Buffalo leads the league in affordability. With the lowest overall cost and cheapest concessions, the Sabres make it easy to enjoy a night at the rink with the whole family. And letting kids under 3 in free? A major win for parents of toddlers.
2. Ottawa Senators — Canadian Tire Centre
Total Cost: $487.29
4 Tickets: $421.36
Concessions: $40.10
Parking: $25.83
Ottawa comes in strong at No. 2 with some of the most budget-friendly food and drink prices in the league. While tickets cost a little more than in Buffalo, concessions are among the most affordable, making this an excellent option for families who enjoy snacking.
3. Calgary Flames — Scotiabank Saddledome
Total Cost: $493.45
4 Tickets: $448.36
Concessions: $39.30
Parking: $5.79
Calgary flames the competition with the lowest concession prices overall — including the cheapest hot dogs. Add in dirt-cheap parking and a toddler-friendly admission policy, and you’ve got a seriously affordable game day option in Alberta.
4. New York Islanders — UBS Arena
Total Cost: $501.90
4 Tickets: $390.36
Concessions: $71.04
Parking: $40.50
Surprisingly, one of the most affordable arenas is in New York. The Islanders offer reasonably priced tickets, though concessions and parking are on the pricier side. Still, for NYC-area families, this is your best bang-for-buck hockey night.
5. Columbus Blue Jackets — Nationwide Arena
Total Cost: $557.62
4 Tickets: $479.16
Concessions: $65.67
Parking: $12.79
Columbus rounds out the list with strong value on both parking and entry for the under-two crowd. While tickets are a bit higher than those of the top four, they are still $200+ less than the league average — and a solid option for Midwest families.
Honorable Mentions:
- Anaheim Ducks ($579.47) – Staying under $600 with solid pricing on tickets and decent value for California.
- Nashville Predators ($582.33) – Competitive pricing plus that classic Smashville fan experience.
- Winnipeg Jets – Not top 5 overall, but the cheapest beers in the league.
Overall, while none of these teams feel cheap, they do offer the most affordable prices. In general, the prices seem to acknowledge that hockey is a family sport- and families should be able to afford to attend a game without selling a kidney. In comparison, here are the most expensive NHL stadiums.
The Most Expensive NHL Stadiums For Families
1. New York Rangers – Madison Square Garden
Total Cost: $1,395.64
4 Tickets: $1,296.88
Concessions: $65.50
Parking: $33.26
No surprise here – the Rangers take the crown for the priciest family night in the NHL. At 83% above the league average, a family of four will shell out nearly $1,400 just to attend a game. That’s the cost of a short vacation… or, in MSG math, about 40 beers or 116 hot dogs.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs – Scotiabank Arena
Total Cost: $1,110.83
4 Tickets: $1,048.60
Concessions: $48.51
Parking: $13.72
The Leafs aren’t far behind. Toronto’s arena has long been known for sky-high ticket prices, and 2025 is no exception. While concessions and parking are actually modest compared to others on this list, the ticket cost alone makes up 94% of the total.
3. Montréal Canadiens – Bell Centre
Total Cost: $1,032.05
4 Tickets: $974.52
Concessions: $43.51
Parking: $14.03
Rounding out the top three is another Original Six team. Montréal's historic Bell Centre charges steep prices for tickets, and even though food and drinks are relatively affordable, the total cost still exceeds $1,000.
4. Washington Capitals – Capital One Arena
Total Cost: $1,011.42
4 Tickets: $927.32
Concessions: $66.79
Parking: $17.31
The nation’s capital is another pricey hockey destination. With high ticket prices and costly concessions, Washington proves that even after the Ovechkin era, demand remains high – and so do the prices.
5. Seattle Kraken – Climate Pledge Arena
Total Cost: $1,006.21
4 Tickets: $913.80
Concessions: $71.16
Parking: $21.25
One of the league’s newest franchises is already one of the most expensive. Seattle offers a sleek, state-of-the-art arena experience — but it comes with a hefty bill. At over $1,000 for a night out, families might find themselves choosing between Kraken tickets and the mortgage payment.
Honorable Mentions:
Utah Mammoths ($959.99) — Last year’s most affordable NHL team for families, the Arizona Coyotes, now the Utah Mammoths, are not nearly as family-friendly wallet-wise since their move. Last year, a family of four could attend for around $285.36; now the cost is $956.98.
Boston Bruins ($950.95) — Original Six prestige meets modern pricing. Bruins fans pay a premium for the Garden.
Chicago Blackhawks ($909.06) — Ticket prices are back up at the United Center, even as the rebuild continues.
Edmonton Oilers ($880.73) — McDavid magic comes at a cost, though food prices are surprisingly reasonable.
% Above/Below Average Cost
As you can see, there is a vast cost gap between the most expensive and most affordable NHL teams for a family to attend. A family attending a New York Rangers’ match on average will pay 82.75% more than the average cost. That adds up to $631.96. To put that into concessions math, that is about 40 beers or 116 hot dogs at Madison Square Garden.
Meanwhile, two other New York stadiums, the Sabres’ KeyBank Center and the Islanders’ UBS Arena, offer far more affordable family experiences. Perhaps, fans unable to afford a home game might find drivable away games more within budget.
Examples of teams that fall in the middle cost-wise are the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins.
However, for many families, NHL tickets and costs are out of reach. This is unfortunate for young fans or their families trying to foster a love of the game.
It’s not just families; at these prices, fans of all ages may find themselves stuck watching the game at home with a Fanatics Sportsbook Promo and pizza. Perhaps they are wondering if next year they’ll be able to afford a ticket, especially if they are Rangers or Maple Leafs fans.
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Methodology
All prices are based on publicly available team data and adjusted to reflect the 2025 NHL season. To calculate the cost for a family of four, we included:
- Four general admission tickets
- Two beers
- Two soft drinks
- Four hot dogs
- One parking spot
In total, we analyzed over 128,000 ticket listings across 32 NHL teams. Ticket prices for each team’s home games were gathered from Ticketmaster. We filtered out special events in order to provide a realistic picture of regular-season pricing.
Concession and parking costs were originally sourced from the previous season’s Fan Cost Index and then adjusted using the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) to reflect 2025 prices. All CPI increases were applied from 2023 to 2025, with the following category-specific adjustments:
- Beer: +6.1%
- Soft drinks: +6.3%
- Hot dogs: +9.3%
- Parking: +7.5%
For the Canadian teams, last season’s Fan Cost Index numbers were also used, and then using the Statistics Canada index to reflect 2025 prices. Increases from 2023 to 2025 were used to adjust for inflation with the following category-specific adjustments.
- Beer: +12.3 %
- Soft drinks: +8.5 %
- Hot dogs: +9.0%
- Parking fees: +10.1%
Using this data, we calculated the cost for a family of four to attend a game at each NHL stadium and partake in concessions. The lower the price, the more affordable the stadium. All costs are presented in US dollars.
The percentage above or below average costs reflects the dollar and percentage amount by which each team’s total costs differ from the average.
You can view the complete dataset used for this analysis here.
