LATEST | Panthers trying to ban Maple Leafs fans from their arena during their second-round series

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Cooper Godin
May 1, 2023 (8:36)

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For the first time since 2004, the Toronto Maple Leafs have advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It'll also mark the first time in history that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers will face each other in a playoff series.

The series is set to kick off with Game 1 on Tuesday night, followed by Game 2 on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena in Downtown Toronto, before the series shifts to South Florida for Games 3 and 4.

But it appears that Maple Leafs fans may be in tough when it comes to watching their team on the road in Sunrise. An image has appeared online, which is believed to be from Ticketmaster, stating that the Panthers will only be selling tickets to residents of the United States.

"FLA Live Arena is located in Sunrise, Florida. Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of the United States. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside of the United States will be canceled without notice and refunds given." the statement read.

While the Panthers are trying their hardest to keep Maple Leafs fans out of the arena, it won't stop them from showing up at all for a couple of reasons. Firstly, there are several 'Snowbirds' that are Maple Leafs fans and have property in Florida.

The other reason is that there is always the secondary ticket market, which will be extremely overpriced, but won't stop Maple Leafs fans from forking over the money to watch their team in the second round for the first time in 19 years.

Game 1 between the Maple Leafs and Panthers is set for tomorrow night at 7 p.m. ET.