They may not be winning many of their away games, but more fans are scooping up tickets to the Maple Leafs’ road games than they are for any other team.

The Leafs overtook the Pittsburgh Penguins, who held the top spot for two years, to become the biggest road draw in the NHL this year, according to ticket resale figures from StubHub, the largest online ticketing site for the NHL.

It’s a big jump for the Leafs, said StubHub’s communication co-ordinator Cameron Papp.

While the team typically falls somewhere in the top 10, it went from eighth biggest in 2012 and seventh in 2011, to first.

“There’s a lot of optimism with the team which is probably why you see the spike in demand,” Papp said, “particularly last year with making the playoffs.”

Last year was the first time the Leafs made it to the playoffs in almost a decade.

And although the Leafs only have one road game win — a 4-3 shootout win Saturday over the Ottawa Senators — under their belt since the end of October, they’re still fan favourites.

“Traditionally the Leafs have always been a pretty popular team,” Papp said. “Their fans travel pretty well.”

And the good news, for those making the trek, is tickets won’t break the bank, especially if you’re there for the blue-and-white and don’t particularly care who — or where — they face off against.

For just $8.22, you can sit in the upper goal zone when the Leafs play the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., Jan. 9.

Comparatively, those same seats, when the Leafs take on the Hurricanes on home ice Dec. 29, cost upwards of $167 — which is more than $40 higher than the $123.50 you could pay to upgrade to centre ice at the North Carolina game.

And to sit at centre ice during the Toronto game? That’ll set you back around $420.

Navigating those price discrepancies is something Jay Adams does particularly well.

The Vancouver lawyer, West Coast editor of Cave Magazine and Canucks fan spent years taking full advantage of lower ticket prices in softer markets.

It all started two years ago when local ticket prices to see the Canucks in the playoffs — for just balcony seats — soared to a couple hundred dollars. He wanted to see them play, but Adams said the thought of shelling out $300 or more didn’t sit well with him.

Instead, he took a four-day trip to Nashville, the Canucks’ opponents, with a friend. All in, it cost the duo around $500, including two playoff games.

Last season, Adams, who routinely scours the Internet looking at price discrepancies, became a Florida Panthers’ season ticket holder, despite living in Vancouver.

It cost him $173 for 24 home games, 24 parking passes and a Panthers jersey.

All in, still $244 cheaper than the $417 he’d have to pay to sit at centre ice when the Pittsburgh Penguins come to town Jan. 7.

And $126 less than the $299 he’d have to pay to sit at centre ice when the Chicago Blackhawks visit Vancouver Jan. 29.

Jersey, parking and 23 other games not included.

And even though he only made it out to one Panthers game — an experience he blogged about in detail for Cave Magazine — it’s left him constantly on the look out for new alternatives and adventures.

“I certainly pay much more attention,” he said. “It opens people’s eyes.”

Four years ago, lifelong Leafs fan Karan Dhillon also started taking advantage of how cheap road game tickets could be. That, plus the cheap flights he can get through his job as a baggage worker for Air Canada, means it’s cheaper to fly and watch them play across the U.S. than it is to subway downtown to the ACC.

In four years, he’s seen the Leafs play more than a dozen games outside of Toronto, all of them in the greens.

The stories and the vibe make it worth it, said Dhillon.

“For a visiting fan it’s a whole different atmosphere,” he said. “You get way, way involved in the game because their (the other team) fans are just as passionate and it becomes a clash between the two.”

Only a few weeks ago, Dhillon paid $90 to sit five rows from centre ice when the Leafs played in Washington, an amount he said would “barely” get him a decent seat in Toronto.

Still, ticket resale prices are constantly changing and Papp said it’s hard to predict whether the Leafs will retain their top spot — weather, timing and popularity all factor in.

Even if they don’t, the travelling fans are appreciated by the players, said Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment spokesman Dave Haggith.

While he said he couldn’t comment specifically on ticket resale figures, Haggith said the number of Leafs fans who show up at road games is “a great example of why the Leafs have one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports.”

What’s the furthest you’ve ever travelled to see the Leafs in action? The Star wants to hear your best and worst hockey travel stories. Email jgerster@thestar.ca .

Top 5 Most Affordable Maple Leafs Home Games

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Dallas Stars in Toronto, Dec. 5, 2013

Los Angeles Kings in Toronto, Dec. 19, 2013

Boston Bruins in Toronto, Dec. 8, 2013

Buffalo Sabres in Toronto, Dec. 27, 2013

Florida Panthers in Toronto, Dec. 17, 2013

Detroit Red Wings in Toronto, Dec. 21, 2013

Carolina Hurricanes in Toronto, Dec. 29, 2013

Columbus Blue Jackets in Toronto, March 3, 2014

Tampa Bay Lightning in Toronto, Jan. 28, 2014

Top 5 Most Affordable Maple Leafs Away Games

Maple Leafs against Carolina Hurricanes, Jan. 9, 2014

Maple Leafs against Florida Panthers, Feb. 4, 2014

Maple Leafs against New York Islanders, Feb. 27, 2014

Maple Leafs against St. Louis Blues, Dec. 12, 2013

Maple Leafs against Anaheim Ducks, March 10, 2014

Maple Leafs against Tampa Bay Lightning, April 8, 2014

Maple Leafs against Los Angeles Kings, March 13, 2014

Maple Leafs against Tampa Bay Lightning, Feb. 6, 2014

Maple Leafs against Dallas Stars, Jan. 23, 2014

Maple Leafs against Washington Capitals, Jan. 10, 2014