The Toronto Maple Leafs advanced to the second round of the 2023 NHL playoffs on Saturday, April 29 after their 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Toronto will open the second round against the Florida Panthers, with Game 1 of the series scheduled for Tuesday, May 2 in Toronto.
Toronto fans looking to travel to Florida for Games 3 and 4 and a possible Game 6 will have limited ticket options as the Florida Panthers have announced that tickets to the second-round series will be restricted to residents of the United States for the first 24 hours that they are on sale. Anyone who attempts to purchase a playoff ticket during the first 24 hours who is not a resident of the United States will have their order cancelled and they will be issued a refund. Residency will be determined by the customers' credit card billing address. This restriction will not apply to season-ticket holders who already have tickets to the game.
The restriction also does not apply to the secondary market – eager Toronto fans may purchase tickets on the resale market during the first 24 hours, though they will likely have to do so at a premium. Otherwise, Toronto fans will have to wait until after the first 24 hours have passed before they will be able to purchase tickets.
Does this ban accompany any legal implications? Probably not! The sports world has seen this before. In the 2015 NHL playoffs, the Ottawa Senators imposed a similar ban by limiting playoff tickets to out-of-town fans.
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