Oilers Attendance Concern: “Every NHL Exec Should Read the Replies to This Tweet.”

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Rogers Place had 2,171 empty seats Thursday night, and fans say the cost of attending an Edmonton Oilers game is the reason. According to Sports 1440s Jason Gregor, the official attendance on Thursday night as the Connor McDavid-led Oilers took on a young, fast, and skilled Utah Mammoth team was 16,176. That’s a notable shortfall for a building that has long been among the NHL’s most reliable sellouts.

Gregor’s social media post highlighting the figure drew a flood of replies, including one from Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, who wrote, “Every NHL exec should read the replies to this tweet..”

Essentially, many fans say they have been priced out. Several former season ticket holders said ticket costs were the main reason they haven’t renewed. Going to 41 Oilers games (now 42) had become a mounting financial burden. One fan said a pair of lower-bowl seats runs about $480, with parking and concessions pushing a night out to roughly $550. Another said a family that has held season tickets since 1972 will likely give them up next year, citing playoff ticket prices after the regular season. Others said they canceled after 16 years or have not attended a game in three to five years.

In Vegas, the Golden Knights have gone with dynamic ticket pricing, which led to their first non-sellout this season. If the Oilers follow that trend, attendance issues could be even worse.

Concessions were a recurring complaint. One commenter noted $20 buys a bag of popcorn and a pop, while a beer and hot dog can reach $29.

Former Oilers radio host Dan Tencer noted, “Yep. Playoff prices aside – the big increase after the first Cup Final we made work. The next big increase after the 2nd one…we tried it for a year…it was just too much.” Gregor responded to that tweet and noted, “Many season seat holders felt the playoff price hikes were gouging and no sign of thanks or loyalty.”

Another fan wrote, “If a team that has McDavid can’t sell out, the league is in big trouble. NHL thinks that Canadians will just pay anything, because we love hockey. The scale has just tipped.”

The Oilers Aren’t the Only Team Facing Fan Backlash

Not everyone blamed prices alone. One fan said late start times also play a role, though not the main one. Commenters noted similar attendance dips elsewhere, including Vegas and Winnipeg, and broader pressure from inflation and reduced household spending power. Given the NHL’s move to taking all games off regular cable, fans are already frustrated. “Seems like the NHL would prefer to play in empty arenas and wants its fans to buy streaming services and watch from home instead. The NFL isn’t far behind. It’s gross,’ noted someone in the comments.

Several respondents said season ticket holders had completed team surveys warning that prices were going too far. Whether OEG responds remains to be seen.

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