LadyStanley
Registered User
The NHL’s Most Valuable Teams
Values rising.
Values rising.
Still not convinced? Look at the recent local cable deals. The Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals began a new deal with NBC last year for 15 years that is worth twice its previous deal. The annual rights fee to the team doubled to more than $35 million a season, and on top of that, the Capitals have an ownership stake in the regional sports network. Even the lowly Buffalo Sabres kicked in a new 12-year deal with MSG Network last season that doubled its rights fee to an annual average of more than $25 million.
The top of the list—New York Rangers ($1.55 billion), Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.45 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($1.3 billion), Chicago Blackhawks ($1.05 billion) AND Boston Bruins ($925 million)—is dominated by the Original Six teams that are great brands with rich local television and sponsorship deals.
As a result, the value of the average NHL team rose 6% during the past year, to a record $630 million.
But the most important team in the NHL may be its newest: the Vegas Golden Knights, which, in 2018, became the league's first expansion team to make the Stanley Cup finals in its debut. The Knights took in $180 million in revenue in the past year—the tenth highest in hockey—and $53 million in operating income, the fifth highest among the league's 31 teams. The Knights are now worth $575 million, 15% more than their expansion fee.[/Still not convinced? Look at the recent local cable deals. The Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals began a new deal with NBC last year for 15 years that is worth twice its previous deal. The annual rights fee to the team doubled to more than $35 million a season, and on top of that, the Capitals have an ownership stake in the regional sports network. Even the lowly Buffalo Sabres kicked in a new 12-year deal with MSG Network last season that doubled its rights fee to an annual average of more than $25 million.
The top of the list—New York Rangers ($1.55 billion), Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.45 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($1.3 billion), Chicago Blackhawks ($1.05 billion) AND Boston Bruins ($925 million)—is dominated by the Original Six teams that are great brands with rich local television and sponsorship deals.
As a result, the value of the average NHL team rose 6% during the past year, to a record $630 million.
But the most important team in the NHL may be its newest: the Vegas Golden Knights, which, in 2018, became the league's first expansion team to make the Stanley Cup finals in its debut. The Knights took in $180 million in revenue in the past year—the tenth highest in hockey—and $53 million in operating income, the fifth highest among the league's 31 teams. The Knights are now worth $575 million, 15% more than their expansion fee.
