Why Gary Bettman Still Has a Job
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by Sportsbiz
If you wonder why Gary Bettman still has a job despite the fact that you can't watch your favorite hockey team play more than once or twice a year, wonder no more. The folks at Forbes have answered that mystery once and for all in their annual look at the value of NHL franchises. In the two years since the lockout, the value of the average franchise has increased 23% and the league has gone from an operating loss of $96 million to an operating profit of $96 million
So, all that is fun, but what is the most valuable team in the league? In this case, it's not a question of on ice success, because the most valuable franchise has not experienced on ice success in quite some time. No, it's a question of market, tradition, real estate, local TV and operations. The most valuable franchise is the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a value of $413 milliion.
