You're heading to T-Mobile Arena to watch the Vegas Golden Knights play. You're excited to take your family and see all your favorites. Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Chance, and the Vegas Vivas all come to mind. You go through security, get your ticket scanned, and head to your seats.
Everything is normal until hunger strikes. You and your family forgot to eat! You must've overlooked Beerhaus because you were trying to find a parking spot. It's time to head to the concession stand and get something before the game starts!
You take your family to the concession stand. You're looking to get four hot dogs and four Cokes. That should satisfy the hunger pangs before puck drop. You put your order in and the cashier tells you your total.
$100?!
Of course, this isn't an accurate number of such an order. Fans across the United States aren't fortunate enough to have an owner like Arthur Blank who thinks about fans and their stomachs, either. However, Golden Knights fans have felt like they've taken a mortgage out on buying foods and drinks at home games this year.
In fact, Slotozilla analyzed the best (and worst) value NHL arenas. The defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, were ranked the best-value team. They achieved a value score of 100 with families spending $372.89 per game. But what about Vegas? Were they ranked the worst overall?
The Vegas Golden Knights were the worst-value team in this survey
Data analysis for this compared the average amount of money spent at NHL games against the overall fan experience. That includes the atmosphere, the local neighborhood, and food/drinks. According to the NHL Fan Cost Index, game night for a family of four costs as much as $759.42. Which fans are getting the most bang for their buck?
Well, it's certainly not the Vegas Golden Knights, who were dead-last in the survey. The total cost per game spent on the team for a family is $742.54. The "stadium fanfare" score (from Stadium Journey), which analyzes elements such as the surrounding neighborhood, access, and atmosphere, was 3.86.
"But Jacob, you wondrous fan of a cool, awesome sport! What was their value score out of 100?" Get ready to have your mind blown.
One.
That's it. One.
Golden Knights fans want a breather for their wallets
Golden Knights fans want some relief for their wallets every time they enter T-Mobile Arena. It's not easy coming up with hundreds of dollars to see your favorite players every other night. Not even Chance can ease the pain of spending $100 (or roughly that amount) of food and drinks at a game.
Considering things are getting more expensive by the day, a hockey game is supposed to provide a sense of relief. It's supposed to create new, everlasting memories with your family. It's also supposed to celebrate the heroes on the ice who help a community heal.
However, fans aren't getting that relief whenever they attend games. Even hanging out at the Hyde Lounge can be costly when you get a flatbread for $18. Will things change for the better? Who knows? But it shouldn't be any surprise that some fans prefer to stay home and watch the game.