For most NHL games, TickPick is the cheapest ticket site because it charges no buyer fees — the price you see is the price you pay. On the same seat, fee-at-checkout marketplaces can add roughly 15–30% before you reach the confirmation screen, so always compare the all-in total, not the sticker price.
Quick comparison of the four sites
| Site | Fee model | Typical buyer fee |
|---|---|---|
| TickPick | No buyer fees — listed price = total | 0% |
| Gametime | All-in pricing (fees shown upfront) | Built into displayed price |
| Vivid Seats | Fees added at checkout | ~20–30% |
| StubHub | Fees added at checkout | ~15–30% |
TickPick and Gametime both let you see your real total early. The difference: TickPick removes the buyer fee entirely, while Gametime folds it in but still collects it. Vivid Seats and StubHub show a lower number first, then reveal fees near payment.
What NHL tickets actually cost
NHL pricing swings hard by market and matchup. On the resale market, a midweek game between two non-playoff teams in a smaller market can land in the $20–$45 range for upper-bowl seats. A weekend Original Six matchup or a marquee divisional rivalry pushes lower-bowl seats into the $90–$250 range, and premium club or glass seats for a top draw can clear $400+.
Because a single game is one of 41 home dates, regular-season NHL inventory is deep — which is good news for price hunters. There are almost always cheaper comparable seats a section over, so filtering by all-in price beats grabbing the first listing.
When NHL prices move
Hockey prices follow a few reliable patterns:
- Day of week: Saturday and holiday games run hotter than Tuesday or Wednesday dates.
- Opponent: Visits from high-demand teams (think the Maple Leafs, Rangers, or a reigning Cup champion) spike local resale prices.
- Season arc: October openers and any game in a tight playoff race cost more; late-season tilts between eliminated teams are where bargains live.
- Last-minute: For non-marquee games, prices often soften in the final 24–48 hours as sellers dump inventory — Gametime in particular leans into last-minute deals.
For playoff hockey, treat all of the above as amplified: prices rise fast once a series is set, and they keep climbing for elimination games.
NHL examples worth modeling
Say you find an upper-level seat listed at $60. On a fee-at-checkout site, a ~25% fee turns that into roughly $75 at payment. The same $60 seat on TickPick stays $60. Across two tickets, that gap is real money.
Or take a hot Saturday rivalry game where lower-bowl listings start around $180. Add checkout fees and you’re near $225; the no-fee equivalent keeps your total at the listing. Whenever you’re choosing between sites, line up the final totals for comparable seats — that’s the only number that counts.
For more on finding seats by team and matchup, see our NHL tickets guide.
Bottom line
TickPick is usually the cheapest NHL ticket site thanks to its no-buyer-fee model, with Gametime a strong all-in alternative — especially for last-minute games. Vivid Seats and StubHub can still win on specific listings, but only if their post-fee total beats the rest. Whatever the matchup, compare the all-in price across all four before you buy.
