Toronto Maple Leafs: Breaking down their Forbes ranking
By Paul Taylor
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been ranked second in Forbes’ annual valuation of the NHL franchises, but what does this actually mean?
Until recently, the Toronto Maple Leafs were renowned for being one of the worst teams in the NHL. We’re sure Leafs fans remember a time when they had the longest playoff drought in the NHL, before ending that dubious “honour” during the 2012-13 season.
I’s been a different matter off the ice, with the Leafs showing better consistency, at least in terms of value. They were the first NHL team to top $1 billion and they held the distinction as the league’s most valuable franchise between 2005-2014, before the New York Rangers overtook them.
As such, Forbes’ 19th annual rankings were always going to illicit a certain amount of interest. In that respect, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had to settle for second-best again.
As reported by Sportsnet‘s Emily Sadler, the Rangers topped the charts at $1.5 billion, followed by the Leafs, at $1.4 billion. The Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks were the only other two franchises to break the $1 billion mark, at $1.25 billion and $1 billion respectively.
There are several reasons why the Leafs failed to overtake the Rangers. The market size is a big factor, although the current value of the Canadian dollar against its American counterpart is arguably the major reason.
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Forbes’ annual rankings often lead to debates, especially when it come to how they determine the valuations. Some of the factors include revenue, operating income and sponsorship deals.
Regardless, the findings make for interesting reading. Understandably, NHL fans north of the border will be drawn towards the Canadian teams.
In this respect, the Vancouver Canucks were the only other Canadian team to make the NHL’s top 10, ranking eighth at $730 million. By comparison, the Winnipeg Jets were the least valuable Canadian team, ranking 26th at $375 million.
The other Canadian teams were ranked as follows: Edmonton Oilers (12th, $520 million), Calgary Flames (19th, $430 million) and Ottawa Senators (20th, $420 million).
On a league-wide scale, the average NHL franchise is valued at 594 million. Of the Original Six teams, the Boston Bruins ranked 5th ($890 million) and the Detroit Red Wings were 9th ($700 million), while the Arizona Coyotes were dead last ($300 million).
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Do you take anything away from Forbes’ rankings of the NHL franchises (and professional sports teams in general)? Or is it much ado about nothing as far as you’re concerned? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.