In Florida a price of a single ticket in the upper bowl for the Nov.18 2017 match up against the LA Kings is a WHOPPING $23.00!
When I watch highlights from there the lower bowl has a large percentage of empty red seats, the upper bowl I simply call the Red Sea for obvious reasons. The NHL salary cap is 75 million dollars, Florida's cap hit is some $68 million and change.
The Panther's average attendance for this current year ( ranking 29'th ) is 12,430 which doesn't match the optics from telecasts! Stadium revenues are not available but ya needn't be an economist to figure out at 29'th in the standings - ya gotta be hurting some?
Bettman loves success stories like Florida but will not tolerate a Canadian market that doesn't meet his demands, of course there is an agenda that serves the interests of a former senior vice president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association - it's profits for American investors with spin offs into American communities.
Bettman continues to learn about the game and its history only to shape it to their liking for the future.