Mighty Ducks Boost Season-Ticket Prices

ANAHEIM —  The Mighty Ducks performed their annual rite of spring Friday, and you ought to know what that means by now.

No, they didn’t announce they signed All-Star left wing Paul Kariya or Coach Ron Wilson to fat new contracts.

Yes, they did raise season-ticket prices to help offset expected payroll increases, which will include new deals for Kariya and Wilson.

The Ducks’ ticket increases cover only season seats. Single-game ticket prices are unchanged from last season.

The highest per game increase is a $3 boost that raises prices in the Plaza Level (lower deck) from $55 to $58.

Tickets in the first few rows of the Terrace Level (upper deck) jumped $1.50 per game, from $30 to $31.50. Most other upper-deck seats increased by $1, from $24.50 to $25.50 or from $21 to $22.

The most expensive tickets in the 17,174-seat Pond--the $150 seats at the glass--and the least expensive--the $15 seats at the top of the upper deck behind the goals--remain unchanged from last season.

The average ticket price next season at the Pond will be $37.33, up from $36.65 last season and up from $28.64 in the inaugural 1993-94 season.

However, Duck tickets remained below last season’s league-wide average of $38.34. The Boston Bruins led the league with an average price of $52.58. The Edmonton Oilers had the lowest average at $23.42.

The Ducks acknowledged ticket price increases won’t come close to covering their higher projected payroll for 1997-98. They started last season with a payroll of $16.485 million, 25th out of the NHL’s 26 teams.

Kariya’s salary is expected to jump several million from the $2.075 million he was paid for last season.