Kings Lower Prices for Some, but Lower the Boom on Others

Many King fans were happy two months ago when the team lowered ticket prices for the upcoming season. But not all of them will benefit.

Instead of lowering prices across the board, the Kings introduced a three-level price plan that rewards existing season-ticket holders. For most other fans, prices were increased.

Season-ticket holders who paid $70 a game last season will pay $58.50 for the 1997-98 season. But fans who bought individual game tickets at $11 will have to pay $22.50.

“When I first found out about the changes I was shocked,” said Brent Supple, 25, of Costa Mesa, who has taken advantage of the bargain-basement seats at King games since 1982. “I knew that the price was kind of low and figured that they may raise the price to $13, $14 or $15 but not to $22.50. That’s more than doubling the previous price.”

Seats that cost $75 a game last season have dropped to $64.50 and the $50 tickets will now cost $44.50. “The bottom line is that we wanted to reward our fans who had been loyal through thick and thin,” said Tim Leiweke, who became the team’s president before last season. “So we made the decision that the best deal should go to existing season-ticket holders.

“We do not feel that we made a move that priced ourselves out of the market. We actually made a move that overall makes the Kings more affordable than before. I know some people are upset at us, but I don’t think the fans who have paid [$70] and had their priced dropped [to $58.50] are.”

The average of all season tickets dropped from $32 to $31 and the average individual ticket reduced by 49 cents. But to fans like Supple, the move does not add up considering that the Kings have not qualified for the playoffs the last four seasons and dropped to near the bottom in attendance among NHL teams last season.

“I like what the team is doing [in its rebuilding process] and I don’t mind being patient, but they can’t just jack up their prices like this,” Supple said.

Supple believes individual-game ticket buyers are being punished even though they were loyal enough to attend more games last season than some season-ticket holders. For the last eight years, Supple and many of his friends drove to the Forum together from Orange County to watch up to 30 King games a season.

“We’re very avid fans who attend booster club meetings and everything,” said Sam Cross Jr., 29, of Santa Ana, who usually drove the Orange County group in his van to King games. “We were really happy when Tim Leiweke told us in his state of the union address that the ticket prices would not go up. He told us to be patient [with the team’s rebuilding], and then they do this.”

Leiweke said when he told an audience the Kings would not raise prices before the team’s final home game, he thought he was talking exclusively to existing season-ticket holders.

Supple and Cross said that unless the Kings back off from such a drastic price hike, they will cut back on the number of games they will attend.

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New Kings’ Ticket Prices

King ticket prices overall will be lower for the 1997-98 season, but some more than doubled.