When getting to a Canadiens game means having to beg for a ticket

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 26, 2026

Photo Courtesy: CBC News

For most hockey fans, getting a ticket to see the Montreal Canadiens is simply a matter of checking availability, choosing a seat and paying.

For wheelchair user Joey Racanelli, the experience became something very different.

Racanelli, who has attended Canadiens games at the Bell Centre for years, said he was shocked to learn that a new policy limits people purchasing tickets in the accessible and reduced-mobility section to one game per season.

He normally attends around four or five Canadiens games each season. But this year, when he tried to reserve tickets, he said he was told he could only purchase seats for one game.

The restriction left Racanelli feeling humiliated. He described the experience as having to beg for tickets, even though he was simply trying to attend games like any other longtime fan.

The difference is that fans who need accessible seating cannot purchase those tickets through the same online process available to most other customers. They must contact the Bell Centre ticket office by phone or in person.

Racanelli said he tried contacting the Canadiens for an explanation through different channels, including phone, email and social media, but struggled to get answers.

And according to CBC, his experience was not isolated. Other Canadiens fans who use wheelchairs also said they encountered the same restriction.

The Canadiens said the limitation was introduced because of high demand for accessible and reduced-mobility seating and applies for a limited time. The team has not indicated that the policy prevents people from attending games altogether, but the one-game restriction has raised questions about how access is being managed.

For disability advocates, however, the issue goes beyond ticket availability.

Steven Laperrière, general manager of the Quebec disability advocacy group RAPLIQ, questioned whether imposing a different purchasing limit on people with disabilities could amount to discrimination under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

He also acknowledged the challenge faced by venues trying to make sure discounted accessible seats are actually used by people who need them. But he argued that addressing potential misuse should not come at the expense of people with disabilities who legitimately want to attend games.

The accessible and reduced-mobility section is also not limited to wheelchair users. People with other disabilities, including some that may not be immediately visible, may also require those seats.

That makes the debate more complicated than simply deciding who gets access to a cheaper ticket.

At the heart of Racanelli’s experience is a question of belonging.

A hockey arena is supposed to be a place where fans come together to cheer for the same team. But when one group of fans has to navigate additional restrictions and explain why they need access, the experience can feel fundamentally different.

The Canadiens’ policy comes at a time when demand for tickets has increased following the team’s strong run last season. But for fans like Racanelli, being able to attend a game is not simply about demand or supply.

It is about having the same opportunity to participate in the experience.

And perhaps the larger question is not how many tickets a person with a disability should be allowed to buy.

It is why accessing something as ordinary as a hockey game should ever make a fan feel like they have to ask for permission to belong.