from Mike Ozanian of Forbes,
The NHL is scoring off the ice like never before thanks to its Canadian teams.
The average NHL team now has an enterprise value (equity plus net debt) of $413 million, 46% more than a year ago. For the first time since Forbes began tracking NHL team values in 1998, three of the league’s five most valuable teams–Toronto Maple Leafs($1.15 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($775 million), Vancouver Canucks ($700 million)–are Canadian (the New York Rangers ($850 million) and defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks ($625 million) are the two U.S. teams to make the top five). And this is also the first time that every Canadian franchise ranks among the top 16 in the 30 team league.
Why is this so important for the NHL? Because hockey was born in Canada. Nurtured there. And it is where the majority of the game’s stars are born and hone their skills. In Canada, hockey is not just another professional sport. The ice is where character is measured. Hockey isn’t a religion in Canada. It is the religion. This passion delivers at the turnstiles–regardless of market size.
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