Nov. 24--Forbes has published its annual valuations of NHL franchises and analysis of the business of hockey. And although individual clubs and the league always dispute Forbes' assessments on the basis that the financial publication hasn't looked at their books or doesn't have complete financial data, the valuations always make for interesting reading.
Forbes has ranked the New York Rangers as the NHL's most valuable franchise, at a worth of $1.2 billion, ahead of the Montreal Canadiens, at $1.18 billion. The Kings rank ninth, at $580 million, and the Ducks 16th, at $400 million. When you click on the full profile for each club, note the huge impact that local TV revenues have on each club's value.
Forbes has also ranked the highest paid players (Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins leads at $16.5 million including endorsements) and the best fighters for the money (the Ducks Chris Stewart is No. 6 on the list and the Kings' Milan Lucic is No. 9, followed by teammate Jordan Nolan), so there's plenty to delve into.
