Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens no longer the most valuable Canadian sports teams
There was a time that the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs were unquestionably the most valuable sports franchise in all of Canada. The two teams were head and shoulders above the rest of the country. Unfortunately for the NHL and for those two teams, that's no longer the case.
This week Sportico released an updated list of the most valuable franchise in Canada and while the Leafs and Canadiens still found themselves in the top 5, both teams have found themselves passed. Here are the final results.
The Toronto Raptors find themselves in the top spot, followed by the Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays, Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers round out the top 5. It is possible that as early as next season the Blue Jays could find themselves in the 2nd spot.
So why are hockey teams falling down this list?
While NHL franchises continue to grow in value, they do so at a significantly slower rate than any other major sports. Combined with the disastrous Sportsnet deal the NHL signed in Canada, the league has stagnated in many respects. With both MLB and the NBA having signed lucrative TV deals that see revenue increase, the NHL has turned to board advertisements to try and bridge this gap.
So despite what Gary Bettman continues to tell people the NHL is far from healthy when compared to other major professional sports. Only time will tell if the NHL can right the ship and get things back on track.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 19 | 190 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens no longer the most valuable Canadian sports teams What is your favorite sport to watch? | ||
| Hockey, obviously | 161 | 84.7 % |
| Basketball | 2 | 1.1 % |
| Baseball | 14 | 7.4 % |
| Football | 13 | 6.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with defenseman Zach Werenski (8) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/531044.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with defenseman Zach Werenski (8) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
![Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/530978.webp "Feb 13, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team USA forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) celebrates with Team USA forward Auston Matthews (34) his goal against Team Finland in the third period during a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images")
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![Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Brad Marchand (63) lifts the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy after winning against Team USA in overtime during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/530800.webp "Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada forward Brad Marchand (63) lifts the 4 Nations Face-Off trophy after winning against Team USA in overtime during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images")
![Feb 17, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) and forward Anthony Cirelli (71) try and find the loose puck during the second period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team Finland at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images](https://i.marqueur.com/habsetlnh/medium/530722.webp "Feb 17, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Josh Morrissey (44) and forward Anthony Cirelli (71) try and find the loose puck during the second period in a 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey game against Team Finland at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images")
