The Maple Leafs may not be able to win on the ice, but the legendary Toronto franchise crushes the competition when it comes to the almighty dollar.
Forbes announced its 2013 NHL team valuations on Monday, and Toronto was valued at $1.15 billion — $300 million more than the runner-up New York Rangers. The Molson family’s Montreal Canadiens are valued at $775 million while the Aquilini family’s Vancouver Canucks are just $75 million behind them for fourth place on the list. The Blackhawks, owned by Rocky Wirtz, check in at $625 million, just $25 million more than the Boston Bruins — the team they ousted in last season’s Stanley Cup Final.
The Leafs have had just one first-place finish (1999-00) since NHL expansion and haven’t made a Stanley Cup Final appearance since winning it all in 1967. The Canucks, founded in 1970, have yet to win a Stanley Cup championship while the Rangers have just one ring since 1941.
Columbus takes the bottom rung on the list, as the Blue Jackets are valued at just $175 million — $5 million less than the Tampa Bay Lightning and $10 million less than the St. Louis Blues.
