Toronto, ON

The already pricey tickets for Toronto Maple Leafs games have become more expensive as Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment announced that it will hike prices by 2.5 percent starting next season.

The Maple Leafs own the distinction of having the costly tickets in the NHL by a whopping 50 percent compared to other teams.

The increase will not only hit the Maple Leafs but also the ticket prices of the Toronto Raptors.

MLSE CEO Tom Anselmi said necessary because costs have gone up dramatically, including players salaries, operating costs and league costs.

According to the Toronto Star, some season ticket holders received renewal invoices this week that reflected the increase.

"This is actually a little late for renewals to start," Anselmi said. "We usually like to start our renewal process in February."

MLSE made the move despite the team's failure to make the playoffs in nearly a decade.

The last Maple Leafs playoff game was in the spring of 2004, before the NHL lost one entire season to an ownership-imposed lockout in 2005.

Like the Maple Leafs, the Raptors are headed to a fifth straight season without a postseason berth.

In 2011, the Raptors dropped lower bowl season seats by 5 to 30 percent, while upper bowl tickets fell by 10 to 40 percent.

 

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Cost of pricey Leafs tickets to increase by 2.5 percent next season