Nov. 25--The average value of the NHL's 30 franchises rose to a record $490 million over the past year, and three franchises reached or topped the $1-billion mark, according to data published Tuesday by Forbes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs led the list with an estimated value of $1.3 billion, followed by the New York Rangers ($1.1 billion), the Montreal Canadiens ($1 billion), the Chicago Blackhawks ($825 million) and the Vancouver Canucks ($800 million).
The value of the Canadian franchises was boosted by the league's media rights agreement with Rogers Communications, a deal reportedly worth $4.6 billion over 12 years.
Here's a link to the full list from Forbes.
The Kings were ranked 10th at a value of $580 million, up 29% from a year ago. Their 2013-14 operating income was put at $21.4 million. The Ducks were ranked 18th, with a value of $365 million, up 22% over a year ago, with an estimated 2013-14 operating loss of $3.7 million.
Representatives of the Kings and Ducks declined to comment on the Forbes valuations. The NHL usually disputes the magazine's valuations the basis that Forbes doesn't have access to teams' complete financial data.
