The New York Rangers have once again topped Forbes’ list of NHL franchise values. This is now the eighth straight year that the Rangers have held that distinction, but the NHL as a whole saw some notable increases in value.
The Rangers were valued at $2.2 billion, a 10% increase from last year. That valuation comes on the heels of the Rangers’ appearance in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals. The Toronto Maple Leafs, valued right at $2 billion, were the only other team to hit that threshold. The Montreal Canadiens ($1.85 million), Chicago Blackhawks ($1.5 billion) and Boston Bruins ($1.4 billion) rounded out the top five.
In total, 14 NHL franchises were valued at $1 billion or more. That includes the Tampa Bay Lightning ($1 billion), which saw a 54% jump in value, the biggest in the league. That’s what back-to-back Stanley Cups and three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances can do for a franchise.
The Ottawa Senators, a team that is currently up for sale, saw a 52% increase to $800 million. That’s good news for the franchise, which reportedly has the interest of several potential buyers, including star actor Ryan Reynolds.
The Arizona Coyotes ranked as the NHL’s least valuable team at $450 million, which is $100 million less than the Florida Panthers, the next closest team. Despite the relatively low valuation, and the fact that the Coyotes now share an arena with Arizona State University, they still saw an increase of 12%.
On average, NHL teams are worth $1.03 billion, which is the first time the league has ever topped an average value of $1 billion. The complete list of team values can be found below.