Colorado Avalanche

Hockey’s Getting More Expensive to Watch, And Colorado Bet Big

Cale Makar’s $20.4M deal is only part of a bigger NHL story: rising salaries, ticket prices and media costs are changing the game.

by
Old Prof
August 30, 2026

Something bigger is happening in the NHL right now, and it’s worth stepping back to see the whole picture. Toronto Maple Leafs tickets for 2026-27 just went on sale, and fans reacted almost instantly — the “cheapest standard seats are averaging $215, standing room is running around $160, and a random Monday night game against San Jose is going for $200 a ticket. Games against Montreal and Edmonton are pushing $350-400 for the “cheap” seats. This is a team that finished dead last in its division last season.

At the same time, CBC just ended its national NHL broadcast deal after airing hockey since 1952. Sportsnet now owns exclusive rights under a massive new deal, and Sportsnet+ subscriptions are climbing to around $270-345 a year. That’s a real cultural shift for Canada. Hockey Night in Canada wasn’t just a broadcast; it was the one guaranteed way every Canadian, rich or not, could watch the sport for free on a Saturday night. That’s gone now.

Cale Makar Just Signed for $20.4 Million, And …

And then there’s the money on the ice. Cale Makar just signed an eight-year, $163.2 million extension worth $20.4 million a year. He’s the first player in NHL history to break the $20 million mark. That number is going to ripple outward fast, because every other superstar’s next contract gets negotiated against it.

If you’re wondering about the connection I’m making, here it is. Those three things aren’t separate stories; they’re the same story. Rising media rights fees help drive higher player salaries, which push up the cost of building a roster, while teams and broadcasters look for ways to offset those costs through ticket prices, subscriptions and other revenue. It’s one economic chain, and fans are feeling every link of it at once.

Back to Colorado, from Maple Leafs Fans’ Perspectives

Which brings me to Colorado. By handing Makar this kind of money and clearly building the whole franchise around him, the Avalanche just planted their flag the same way Toronto did with the Core Four. Bet enormous money on one or two era-defining stars and then build everything else around managing that cap hit.

Toronto’s version of that bet delivered great regular seasons and years of playoff heartbreak. Whether Colorado’s version plays out differently remains to be seen. But the shape of the gamble looks awfully familiar. One superstar, one massive number, and a front office that now has to get everything else right around him.

Is Makar the Beginning of a Core Four Era in the NHL?

That’s the real question worth watching this season. It’s not just whether Makar’s worth the money. It’s more about what’s happening league-wide. Can the “build around one $20 million player” ever actually work out better than it did in Toronto?

The Maple Leafs have taken a different path by building a stronger depth around Auston Matthews. But they’ve been down this road before and perhaps have learned a thing or two. The Avalanche are only now beginning the journey, and other teams seem destined to follow.

Whatever happens next, it looks like NHL fans are going to be paying for the change.