Maple Leafs' value increased more than $600M over past year: report

The Toronto Maple Leafs are known to have some of the most expensive tickets around. And it looks like all the dough they’re raking in has once again helped them be crowned the most valuable franchise in the NHL.

According to a new report from Sportico, which ranks the valuations of all 32 teams, the Leafs saw a 25% increase ($662.5 million) in value over the past year alone, jumping from an estimated net worth of $2.12 billion in November 2022 to $2.65 billion today.

That puts them at the very top of the list, which, in turn, benefits MLSE, the team’s parent company. Along with the Leafs, MLSE also owns the Blue Jays, Raptors, Argonauts, and Toronto FC, among other local teams.

With all that under their wing, MLSE is currently valued at $8 billion.

As for the rest of the Sportico report, in second place is the New York Rangers, with a valuation of $2.45 billion.

Meanwhile, in third place, the Montreal Canadiens saw the biggest boost in value among teams in the top 10 with an increase of 33% (approximately $500 million).

🚨 NHL VALUATIONS 🚨

The average @NHL team is worth an estimated $1.31 billion with franchises in Toronto, New York, and Montreal all worth more than $2.25 billion.

Full list: https://t.co/U4LWlF2jnn pic.twitter.com/B65eUVWiFD

— Sportico (@Sportico) November 8, 2023

Unsurprisingly, the Arizona Coyotes were deemed the least valuable franchise in the league at $675 million, which is substantially lower than the estimated league average of $1.31 billion.

The figures include what ownership makes through real estate, venues, TV markets, and other team-related holdings.

According to Sportico, to derive the fair market value of the 32 NHL franchises, it “calculated each team’s revenue, relying on publicly available information and financial records—as well as interviews with those knowledgeable of team finances, including nine sports bankers and lawyers who actively work on NHL transactions.”

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