The Maple Leafs' forward skipped Friday's practice after a rough game against the Dallas Stars that saw him take a nasty cross-check from Jamie Benn. The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to grow in value. According to a comprehensive report from sports business site Sportico [https://www.sportico.com/valuations/teams/2022/nhl-valuations-2022-leafs-rangers-average-franchise-worth-1234693094/], the Maple Leafs are the most valuable franchise at a valuation of $2.12 billion, a total of $110 million more than the next franchise, the New York Rangers. Sportico notes that the Maple Leafs are the only NHL team in the market, apart from the Rangers who share with the New York Islanders, and to some extent, the New Jersey Devils, who are just a 20-minute train ride away. The Maple Leafs and Rangers were the only two NHL franchises to top valuations north of $2 billion. The sports journalism site notes that it was a big bounce-back year for the NHL in general coming off of the 2021 pandemic-shortened season. The Leafs generated an estimated $284 million in revenue in 2021-22, according to Sportico. It was the second-most money generated behind the Rangers. The site noted much of that had to do with the New York team generating more money by going further into the NHL playoffs. The Rangers made it to the 2022 Eastern Conference Final, where the Leafs were eliminated in the first round. At the NHL board of governors meetings last month, commissioner Gary Bettman noted that the NHLPA could be on track to fully pay off the over $1 billion in escrow debt stemming from the pandemic and that the NHL salary cap could return to being a true lock-step reflection of the 50/50 split in revenue. Sportico’s numbers seem to reflect that information. They noted that the NHL is seen as a ‘hidden gem’ among ad buyers given their lower cost compared to other North American sports leagues that have skyrocketed in valuation.
