New York Ice Hockey NHL Games 2025: Tickets and Best Prices

There are thousands of things to do in New York, and buying tickets to an NHL game is a highly recommended option. Ice hockey games are known for their atmosphere. You'll see spectators cheering as the puck speeds across the rink. It's an unforgettable experience that you can enjoy for most of the year.

Ice hockey is an intense and entertaining sport: each game lasts 60 minutes and is divided into 3 periods. To ensure a fast pace, all five players are allowed to be substituted. This strategy is known as "line changing." In New York, the main team is the New York Rangers, and the New York Islanders also play.

New York Rangers

In the Big Apple, the New York Rangers are the team to beat. They are the only team representing the city in this competition. The club was founded in 1926 and is one of the six original teams that started the NHL. They play their games at the legendary Madison Square Garden. The arena is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

The New York Rangers are part of the Eastern Conference, Metropolitan Division. Teams such as the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals compete in this same league. Some of these games are very heated. Generally, the competition begins in October and the playoffs are played in April.

NHL tickets can be easily purchased online. Tickets are digital and do not need to be printed; simply scan the code on the ticket to access the stadium. You can also purchase them at the box office, although I do not recommend this, as it will save you precious time during your stay in the city.

It is generally preferable to purchase tickets a few days in advance. Check the NHL schedule, as tickets sell out fast when the New York Rangers face their biggest rivals. Their most heated rivalries are with the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders (two derbies), Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins.

It depends on the seat and the game. Usually, the cheapest ticket ranges from $20 to $30 (roughly €18 to €27), while the most expensive—and with the best view, of course—can exceed $300. If you have a bigger budget, you can opt for the Event Level, Lexus Level, Signature Level, Lounge, and Garden Lounge suites. For more information, I recommend checking out the New York Rangers' official website.

Keep in mind that American teams use dynamic pricing. Let me explain: the price of each ticket varies depending on various factors such as market demand and seasonality. In addition, prices rise when the Rangers face their biggest rivals:

• New Jersey Devils, practically a derby. Each game is called "The battle of the Hudson River."
• Philadelphia Flyers
• New York Islanders. Despite their name, they do not play in New York City but in Edmont, a suburb of Hempstead, a city in Nassau County.
• Pittsburgh Penguins, a sporting rivalry that has endured since the 1990s
• Boston Bruins. In the United States, Boston and the Big Apple have always been rivals.

The best way to save money on ice hockey tickets is to buy them in advance. Seeing the New York Rangers live at the incredible Madison Square Garden comes at a price. However, there are other factors that can help you save money when buying your tickets.

Choose a more modest opponent

When checking tickets for a New York Rangers game, you should look not only at the date of the game, but also at the team they are playing. If you choose one of their big rivals, prices may be higher and, in fact, the cheapest seats sell out quickly due to the interest generated among the thousands of American fans that this sport attracts.

However, if you buy your tickets in advance—and if your stay in New York allows it—try to select a less attractive opponent and ticket prices will be cheaper and you'll have more options for finding cheap tickets.

Tickets for preseason games will also be more affordable. Before the start of the league, you can see great games, including derbies! There are also college games that attract less interest but allow you to enjoy the atmosphere of a hockey game without spending a fortune.

The best seats at Madison Square Garden

As in all large stadiums for mass sports, some seats offer better visibility than others. If you want to experience watching the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden for the show they put on but without having to follow the puck on the ice all the time, I recommend choosing a seat in section 200, specifically 208, 210, 222, or 225. These are the blocks that offer the best value for money.

There are also other sections, such as 413 to 420, where visibility is poorer but prices are much more affordable, although it will be more difficult to follow the game.

Avoid ticket resellers

Although it is not as common as in other national sports such as the NBA and American football, ticket reselling also exists in hockey. You can find unreliable websites where you can buy them or around the stadiums where the games are played. To ensure you get an original and valid ticket, it is best to visit official sales websites such as Hellotickets.

First of all, remember that New York Rangers games are almost always sold out. To secure your seat, it is highly advisable to book your tickets well in advance. Let's get back to our topic at hand. As a general rule, tickets for the New York team have an average price of $145, which is roughly equivalent to €133. Prices rise significantly during the playoffs. If the New York Rangers qualify, the cheapest ticket can easily reach $350 (around €321).

Madison Square Garden is the largest and most famous multi-purpose arena in the Big Apple. It is home to the New York Rangers, who share it with the New York Knicks—one of the leading teams in the NBA —and with hundreds of artists who perform on its stage every week. It is a legendary venue that you can visit even if there are no games or shows scheduled.

The regular season runs from early October to early April. However, there is a preseason that you can enjoy during the month of September. In total, NHL teams play 82 games throughout the regular season. The top three teams from each division (Central, Pacific, Atlantic, and Metropolitan) and two wild card teams per conference advance to the playoffs. The winner lifts the Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy in American professional sports.

To give you an idea, in the 2019/2020 season, the playoffs began on August 1, 2020, while the final took place on September 28, 2020. If you visit New York in the summer, you can take advantage of the opportunity to escape the heat while discovering a side of American culture.

If you love this sport but don't know everything about it, this overview will be very useful. Ice hockey games are played with six players, although teams usually include 20 or more athletes. It is a fast-paced sport and each player only plays for a minute or so. Therefore, substitutions are very frequent. Fights are allowed (a red card lasts 5 minutes), which adds to the adrenaline of the games.

A game lasts 60 minutes and is divided into 3 periods of 20 minutes. Each break lasts 15 minutes. Keep in mind that the clock stops during each break and substitutions are made during this interval. For this reason, the game usually lasts around two and a half hours. If at the end of the 60 minutes the score is tied, there is a 5-minute overtime period. The golden goal decides the match.

It depends on their age. As a general rule, NHL teams allow children under 2 years old to attend games for free. Keep in mind that your child will have to sit on your lap as they will not have their own seat. If you think your little one might feel uncomfortable, I recommend buying a ticket anyway. Another thing to keep in mind is the temperature. Since it's an ice sport, the stadiums tend to be quite cold. Make sure they're dressed warmly before leaving the hotel! Here's more info on things to do in New York with kids.

• It is best to arrive at the stadium at least half an hour before the game. Keep in mind that you will have to pass through a metal detector at the entrance.
• The famous Madison Square Garden is close to Penn Station and easily accessible by train (lines 1, 2, 3, A, C, and E) to 34th Street/Penn Station.
• There are hundreds of places to eat around the arena. It is advisable to arrive with a full stomach. Food inside Madison Square Garden is not cheap.
• Each game begins with the "face off" and ends when the referee blows the whistle or a goal is scored.
• In penalty shots, the player who has been fouled must skate alone toward the opposing team's goalkeeper from the center of the rink.
• The ice rink is known as the "rink." It is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide and is surrounded by protective glass
• If you don't want to get cold, wrap up warm!