The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off their 2023-24 campaign on Wednesday night with a thrilling 6-5 comeback win against the Montreal Canadiens in a shootout, but you wouldn't know it without looking at the scoreboard in what was a whisper-quiet Scotiabank Arena.

Attendees in the high-priced lower bowl of the arena were hushed throughout the game, robbing the venue of the electric atmosphere it deserved during big moments like Auston Matthews' 300th career goal, his ensuing hat trick, and an eventual come-from-behind shootout win.

People have been lashing out since during the game, claiming that corporate ticketholders just don't get into the frenzy like other Leafs fans, and that the colossal prices charged to sit in the lower bowl are keeping the most spirited supporters far from the action.

Well, just look at the Leafs game tonite. It was quiet because the lower bowl was only full of comp ticket holders (like always i know, but this time is different)
It was sad to see.
Only the elites can afford tickets.
The “quiet lower bowl” will eventually get to the players.…

— jim (@toywatch81) October 12, 2023

Wealthy corporate ticketholders not actively participating in crowd noise is nothing new for Leafs fandom, though it was especially noticeable for Wednesday's opener, drawing dozens of comments from X (formerly Twitter) users.

Too many rich people not enough fans

— the most bias leafs fan (@BridgerClancy) October 12, 2023

Quiet crowds don't just take away from the fun and atmosphere of a game, they can also deprive a team of its home-ice advantage.

That almost seemed the case on Wednesday when the Leafs fell behind by two goals in the third period in an almost-silent Scotiabank Arena, only to stage a dramatic comeback in the closing minutes of the game.

Not a frequent poster but all Leaf fans in attendance today should be ashamed of themselves! Horrible ambience not emotion get those rich corporate Dicks out# leafs forever

— Jason Gray (@jasongr31964761) October 12, 2023

The lower bowl's lacklustre reaction to Auston Matthews' hat trick was a particularly disappointing sight for many fans. Just a trickle of hats made their way onto the ice from the upper levels, while corporate bigwigs quietly closed their deals in the good seats below.

Matthews hat trick on opening night and not a hat in sight. Get these rich bozos out of the lower bowl pic.twitter.com/5imrl0v2u9

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 12, 2023

Blame was also placed on Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) for stratospheric ticket prices that contribute to these conditions.

Maple Leaf fans are the best in the world!! HAHA ... best fans in the bars and on the streets ... Definitely NOT in the arena. I've been to a number of playoff games and it us embarrassing how quiet it is most of the time ... WAY TOO MANY corporate seats!!

— Jeff1229 (@jeffm1229) October 12, 2023

The Globe and Mail reported last year that the average Leafs ticket price for the 2021-22 season of US$145.60 was already 76 per cent higher than the then-league average of US$82.58.

And that number has only grown since, with SeatGeek reporting an average cost of CAD$368 (US$270.74) for the 2023-24 campaign.