After 12 season, lifelong Buffalo Sabres fan Tom O'Connor is giving up his season tickets.
He says there are several reason why, but the incentive of holding onto them to have first crack at tickets for the playoffs is no longer there, and he says without the hope of a playoff run the price is no longer worth it.
"Going to the playoff games was always what you kind of hold on to them for, and then I realized if I can just buy a single playoff game for a couple hundred bucks, I'm still saving money."
Ticket prices have increased substantially since Terry Pegula took ownership of the team in February of 2011. In his first full season of ownership, a 300 level 1 season ticket cost fans $41 per seat.
This season, the same seat would set fans back $53 per game; a nearly 30 percent increase.
Some tickets in the 100 level have gone up almost 40 percent in the same time.
O'Connor says that with the teams recent struggles, he's having a hard time finding someone to use his ticket for games he can't attend.
"I've almost had to switch to offering people money to take my tickets just to fill the seat. I can no longer expect anyone to pay me even a dollar for a ticket at this point."
But even with the team failing to make the playoffs since 2011, official team attendance figures remain steady.
According to ESPN, with the help of the Winter Classic game at Citi Field, which was considered a home game for Buffalo, the Sabres are currently eighth in overall NHL attendance.
Sabres officials also tell us they there is still a waiting list for people who would like to become season ticket holders, so despite the decision of some fans to cancel their tickets, the team is still confident they'll see similar numbers next season.
