Scotiabank Arena should get busier as Ontario government accelerates attendance plan
Global News
The last four Toronto Raptors games and two Maple Leaf contests have been restricted to 500 fans in the building.
The stands will be a lot busier at Scotiabank Arena this week in the wake of the Ontario government slightly accelerating plans to ease attendance limits at indoor sports events.
Initially permitted capacity was going to rise to 50 per cent Feb. 21 and 100 per cent on March 14. That has been pushed forward to Thursday and March 1, respectively, “if public health and health system indicators continue to improve.”
The last four Toronto Raptors games and two Maple Leaf contests have been restricted to 500 fans in the building.
With Leaf home games Thursday against Pittsburgh and Saturday against St. Louis, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment had to pivot quickly to get make available the 10,000 tickets allowed per game.
While a presale for members has already started for the next two games, Tom McDonald, MLSE’s senior vice-president of ticket sales and service, believes the quick turnaround will result in a “few thousand” tickets available to the general public. They will go on sale Wednesday at noon, as well as some tickets for the Feb. 24 game against the Minnesota Wild.
The Leafs’ season-ticket base covers some 15,000 seats.
MLSE essentially divided its season-ticket base into half in the past when 50 per cent capacity was in effect due to the pandemic.
“We spaced our members in each section, by row, and they just got every other game,” said McDonald.
