StubHub Second Annual NHL Preview: Vegas Golden Knights Remain Most Sought After Ticket, Toronto Catches "Tavares Fever"

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- StubHub, the world's largest event marketplace, today released its second annual NHL Preview, detailing the most in-demand teams and hottest-selling matchups heading into the 2018-2019 season

After a fairytale inaugural season, the Vegas Golden Knights are the most in-demand team for the second year in a row, propelled by a fervent fan base and a record-setting Stanley Cup run. The Golden Knights outsell the Toronto Maple Leafs, StubHub's second top-selling team, by 27% and this year marks the first time a team has been at the top of the list for two consecutive years since the Chicago Blackhawks claimed the top spot for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 season starts.

"Last year was an unforgettable season for hockey fans and this year's numbers tell us support isn't slowing down for the Golden Knights after their historic run," said Scott Jablonski, StubHub's General Manager of NHL, NFL & NBA. "Not only are the Golden Knights the most in-demand team for the second year in a row, their home opener is also the top-selling matchup heading into this season."

Other major insights unpacked in the season preview include:

Trends in the Top Ten

• Toronto fans catch "Tavares Fever": Since the announcement of John Tavares, the team has quickly rose in popularity according to StubHub ticket and eBay merchandise sales data. Maple Leafs landed at #2 on StubHub's top-selling team list with 49% increase in demand since last season. The Leafs landed at #6 for most fan gear sold out of all NHL teams on eBay with a 366% increase in Tavares merchandise sold.
• Washington Capitals generate their highest demand: The defending Stanley Cup champions rank #6 on StubHub's top-selling team list, securing their highest ranking yet. On eBay, they are the #1 NHL team in terms of merchandise sales with 26,122 items sold in recent months.
• Vegas Golden Knights lead top in-demand events: The Knights appear in four of the top ten most in-demand games. In the pre-season, The Golden Knights sold 18,295 items in the pre-season, securing it's #2 spot on eBay for sales of fan gear.

Trending Teams

• Anaheim Ducks enter their 25th anniversary season with a remarkable 82% demand increase from last year.
• Toronto Maple Leafs see a bigger growth in demand than any other team with a 213% increase compared to the 2014 season start.

Hottest Games

• The top two most in-demand games feature games from last season's Stanley Cup Finals participants, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals.
• The 2019 New Year's Day Winter Classic featuring Chicago Blackhawks versus Boston Bruins is already seeing strong demand as it's the third top-selling matchup.

2018-2019 NHL regular season tickets are available for purchase on StubHub now. As always, StubHub backs all listings with its market-leading FanProtect™ Guarantee and NHL fans can use StubHub's 360-degree Virtual View feature and price alerts technology to find the perfect seats for any game.

An overview of all StubHub stats and ticket sales data can be found here and hi-res graphics of top-selling games and teams can be accessed here.

ABOUT STUBHUB
At StubHub, our mission is simple: bring the joy of live to fans globally. We connect fans with their favorite teams, shows and artists and introduce them to the ones they'll love next. As the largest ticket marketplace in the world, we enable fans to buy and sell tickets to tens of thousands of events, whenever they want, through our desktop and mobile experiences, including our StubHub app for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Android. Offering a superior fan experience at its core, StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in 2000 and continues to lead through innovation. Our industry firsts include the introduction of the first ticketing application, the first interactive seat mapping tool, and the first live entertainment rewards program. Our business partners include more than 130 properties in MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS and NCAA, plus AEG, AXS and Paciolan, and now the Tessitura Network. StubHub provides the total end-to-end event going experience throughout the world. StubHub is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). For more information on StubHub, visit StubHub.com or follow @StubHub on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or YouTube.com/StubHub.

SOURCE StubHub

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