So I am a Toronto guy, through and through. As was the case today, Toronto has the highest ticket cost in the league, making it difficult to acquire a seat during game-day. It was my anniversary and my wife and I went to Scotiabank Area to catch the matchup against the New York Islanders.

I got our seats on Stubhub, which is a legitimate third-party ticket exchange platform. It costs just over $300 for our tickets, which is quite reasonable considering the quality of the vantage point. We were sitting right in the middle, just way up in the nosebleeds. As everyone there said (and agreed with), there isn’t a bad scene in entire complex.

This exact shot was taken from near the gate entrance not from our seat. Assuming you have decent vision (or brought your glasses like myself) everything is fully visable, the puck included. There were times when I was checking out the screen, mostly if my neck was kinked from looking down so much. With some premium tickets going for thousands of dollars, perhaps I can massage out some coin to see a chiropractor!

Eating At the Scotiabank Area

If you can think of a food, from any country, you will find it offered somewhere in the concourse. My wife and I like going to the Bay Street Deli, the Kosher option available on the first floor. It is super delicious and many of the customers were not Jewish. Not wife and I are not Orthodox Jews but like the taste of their food, especially when it is drenched in sauteed onions and vegetables. I grew up in Thornhill and I prefer Kosher whenever it is available to me.

I have had most of their items and it is all perfect in every way. Their hotdogs are worth the money, even they though are quite expensive. I saw that the non-Kosher option was $8 or so dollars, not too far the price offered by Bay Street Deli. Just a heads up to non-Jewish friends, they will not be open on Friday (or Saturday nights) due to the laws surrounding the Sabbath.

Toronto Maple Leaf Swag

It was amazing to see so many sales on merchandize. Most things were “buy one, get one 50% off” or placed on a discount table. We bought a couple things for the family, some of which are secret gifts for the holidays. I think that this may have be connected to the Black Holiday holiday, something which really isn’t celebrated here in Canada. In fact, this was the best promotional sale that I have ever seen for Black Friday in Canada. Thinking back on it, I should have bought more things since this was the perfect opportunity to finish gift gifting.

Was It Worth It?

The above picture is of myself with Elliotte Friedman, a noted Canadian hockey broadcaster. For hockey fans like myself, this is our version of a celebrity. Canadian celebrities are very friendly and approachable.

The game cost money but not that much money. I would recommend that everyone brings their family to at least one game, provided that they live in the Greater Toronto Area. Is is the place where magic happens, with the arena packed with electricity and enthusiasm.

If you want to save money, you can always buy a discount ticket and eat a hot dog outside!

THIS IS CANADIAN CULTURE AT ITS FINEST!