Oilers make huge jump up Forbes’ NHL valuation list; Rangers at $2B

Edmonton Oilers gather before the team's NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Edmonton, Alberta. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

Forbes released its annual ranking of NHL franchise valuations and the New York Rangers topped the list as hockey’s first $2-billion franchise.

Four of the other five Original Six franchises (Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Boston) rounded out the top five with Philadelphia, Edmonton and Los Angeles the only other to surpass the $1-billion mark.

The Edmonton Oilers are far and away the biggest risers on this list. In 2020, Edmonton ranked 14th with an estimated value of $550 and a $16.9-million operating income, however in 2021 the team is valued at an estimated $1.1 billion, No. 7 in the league.

A 100 per cent increase in year-over-year value and 147 per cent value change over five years, is partly due to a calculation correction from the publication.

“We now believe that we were short-changing them on revenue in the past and have verified that the team ranks in the top quartile in the NHL in every important revenue category, including local media, where they are in the top five alongside the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens, the Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks,” the Forbes article stated.

Canadian NHL franchise valuations and league ranking:
2. Toronto Maple Leafs, $1.8 billion
3. Montreal Canadiens, $1.6 billion
7. Edmonton Oilers, $1.1 billion
18. Calgary Flames, $680 million
14. Vancouver Canucks, $825 million
26. Winnipeg Jets, $575 million
28. Ottawa Senators, $525 million

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Beside the Oilers, the Islanders (83 per cent) and Flyers (50 per cent) had the highest one-year change in valuation compared to 2020.

The expansion Seattle Kraken came in at No. 13 worth $875 million with no listed growth for obvious reasons. Unsurprisingly, the Arizona Coyotes have the league’s lowest valuation at just $400 million.

Overall, the average valuation of an NHL franchise is $865 million, which marks a 32 per cent increase from 2020 when the NHL was impacted by COVID game cancellations and a significant subsequent decrease in ticket revenue because of various capacity restrictions across North America.

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