The Puck Drops Here! StubHub Ranks the Hottest 2009 NHL Home Openers

SAN FRANCISCO - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The 2009 National Hockey League (NHL) season gets under way tonight, and the category is growing at a torrid pace on StubHub.com. The Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins lead the pack, with fan demand around the team helping them earn the top spot in StubHub's demand rankings of NHL home openers, outpacing the field by a considerable margin.

The NHL category has been growing by leaps and bounds on StubHub, the world's largest ticket marketplace. Last season StubHub saw NHL ticket sales rise 60 percent, with the trend continuing into this year, as sales are up over 30 percent thus far for the 2009-10 season. Further illustrating the increased NHL activity, StubHub reports an influx of inventory, with 40 percent more tickets already available for fans this year. To mark Opening Day, StubHub has ranked each home opener based on a combination of average price per ticket, number of transactions, and other factors, leading to a proprietary ranking that can accurately reflect fan demand in NHL markets.

The rankings show strong excitement surrounding Sidney Crosby and the Penguins this season. Not only are they number one on the list, but they helped push the New York Islanders, who host the Penguins in their opener, to the number seven spot. Crosby's on-ice rival Alexander Ovechkin is another example of NHL star power swaying ticket demand. Ovechkin's Washington Capitals claim the number three spot on the list, just one spot below the hockey-hungry fans of the New York Rangers.

The Boston Bruins, who many expect to contend for the cup this year, rank fourth on the list (hosting Ovechkin's Capitals), with the Chicago Blackhawks rounding out the top five.

Below is StubHub's Top Ten list of NHL Season Openers, ranked in descending order:

2009 Ranking	Matchup/Date
1	Pittsburgh Penguins (vs. NY Rangers 10/2)
2	New York Rangers (vs. Ottawa Senators 10/3)
3	Washington Capitals (vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 10/3)
4	Boston Bruins (vs. Washington Capitals 10/1)
5	Chicago Blackhawks (vs. Colorado Avalanche 10/10)
6	Buffalo Sabres (vs. Montreal Canadiens 10/3)
7	New York Islanders (vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 10/3)
8	New Jersey Devils (vs. Philadelphia Flyers 10/3)
9	Toronto Maple Leafs (vs. Montreal Canadiens 10/1)
10	Philadelphia Flyers (vs. Washington Capitals 10/6)

Source: Ranking based on proprietary mixture of variables per tickets sold on StubHub.com, with a minimum of 500 tickets sold per game to qualify.

About StubHub

StubHub is the world's largest ticket marketplace, enabling fans to buy and sell tickets to tens of thousands of sports, concert, theater and other live entertainment events. StubHub reinvented the ticket resale market in 2000 and continues to lead it through innovation. The company's unique online marketplace, dedicated solely to tickets, provides all fans the choice to buy or sell their tickets in a safe, convenient and highly reliable environment. All transactions are processed and delivered by StubHub and backed by the company's FanProtect Guarantee . Company partners include the New York Yankees, Chicago Bears and the University of Southern California along with nearly 60 teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL and NCAA, complemented with Broadway musicals like Jersey Boys and companies such as ESPN and AOL.

StubHub is an eBay company (NASDAQ: EBAY). For more information on StubHub, visit www.stubhub.com

StubHub
Joellen Ferrer, 415-222-8412
jferrer@stubhub.com
Andy Pray, 212-583-2722
praya@ruderfinn.com