Chicago Blackhawks: Still Extremely Valuable

On Tuesday, Sportico released their updated NHL franchise valuations. The Chicago Blackhawks ranked fourth out of the 32 franchises at $1.4 billion. The LA Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals broke up the Original Six at the top of the valuations with Detroit ranking tenth.

Here are a few Chicago-related nuggets of note from their write-up:

  • Sportico estimates the Blackhawks’ value is up by 6 percent from last year. 24 of the other 31 clubs had an increase of more than 6% in the past 12 months based on their valuation.
  • The average NHL franchise is worth $1.01 billion—crossing the 10-figure mark for the first time—and up 9% from a year ago.
  • The top 12 clubs by value all have real estate or NHL-related businesses, with an average value of more than $200 million by our calculations, as teams increasingly look beyond just the NHL franchise to expand their reach.
  • Sportico describes the NHL’s fan base as “relatively young” and “affluent” and notes that teams have the same avenues to grow their businesses, whether it is through sponsorships, content, gambling, blockchain or real estate developments, as other major professional sports. Yet their valuations are dramatically lower.
  • NHL teams are valued at an average of just over five times revenue, compared to the NFL (7.6) NBA (8.4) and MLB (7.4).
  • NHL teams generated $6.1 billion in total revenue during the 2021-22 season. That number includes non-NHL events for ownership groups like the Blackhawks that also operate their own venue. That’s up nearly three times the previous year when COVID was still impacting attendance in many cities, especially in Canada.
  • Hockey-related revenue was $5.4 billion last season, according to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. This is the number that is used to calculate the salary cap each season. This was a good number coming out of COVID, and an even stronger 2022-23 could wipe out the $1 billion debt that kept the salary cap flat the last couple years. If that happens, the Blackhawks will have an absurd amount of cap space as soon as next year.
  • written by

    Tab Bamford has been writing about the Chicago Blackhawks for almost two decades. He joined Bleacher Nation as the lead Blackhawks writer in May 2022. Tab is a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association and is the author of two books about the Blackhawks: "100 Things Blackhawks Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" (Triumph Books) and "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter/X/Instagram/Threads at @The1Tab

    more blackhawks news

    Rooting Interest, Vlasic Wants to Stay, Championship DNA, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

    A quick reminder for Blackhawks fans as we watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs: there are a few teams we're all probably rooting against. Not necessarily because we don't like the team or the players, but because it would help the...

    WATCH: Hurricanes Provide Latest Example That Playoff Hockey Is Just The Greatest

    12 hours later and I'm still scrolling the internet watching replays of Jordan Martinook's game-winner for the Hurricanes last night. The Hurricanes and Islanders game was just another example of why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are so damn awesome. In...

    Blackhawks Perspectives: Players Talk About Learning from Losses, Wanting to Win, More

    On Saturday, a dozen Blackhawks players spoke with the media about a wide range of topics as they closed the books on the 2023-24 season. From personal performance assessments to team consistency, a lot was covered. And each player had...

    Buffalo Sabres Hire Lindy Ruff as Head Coach… Again

    Did somebody throw a couple bucks in the juke box and hit the theme song from "Welcome Back, Kotter"? Because Lindy Ruff is the head coach of the Buffalo Sabres -- again. https://twitter.com/BuffaloSabres/status/1782517265956573577 Ruff, 64, was the head coach of...

    Calder Cup Playoffs, IceHogs Debuts, Goalies, College Prospects, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

    Hey, you know what's fun? Playoff hockey. And you know who's playing playoff hockey this week? The Rockford IceHogs! They played their final game of the 2023-24 regular season last night and won it in fabulously dramatic fashion on a...

    Who Are Some Potential Free Agent “Identity” Forward Targets for the Blackhawks??

    The 2023-24 regular season is in the books. The Blackhawks are coming off a historically bad season that was filled with significant injuries to players who had high hopes coming into the season. When general manager Kyle Davidson spoke with...

    Let’s Watch All Four of the Blackhawks’ First Career Goals From This Season

    Six players made their NHL debut for the Chicago Blackhawks this past season: Connor Bedard, Kevin Korchinski, Louis Crevier, Landon Slaggert, Ethan Del Mastro and Frank Nazar. Four of those six rookies found the back of the net for the...

    Turning the Corner to Competitive Hockey, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

    "Previous to this year, we finished third last. This year, we finished second last. That can't happen again. We need to start moving up and onward." -- Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson. The Chicago Blackhawks cleaned out their lockers on...

    Playoffs Begin, Locker Clean Out, Summer Thoughts, and Other Blackhawks Bullets

    The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin today. It's the most exciting time of year for 16 cities in the NHL because every one of them -- yes, even the Islanders and Capitals -- have a chance to win it all....

    2024 NHL Mock Draft: Stanley Cup Playoffs Begin! Two Full Rounds!

    Okay, hockey fans! The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us. The crazy ride to the end of the regular season had us on the edge of our seats until the final days of the regular season, but now we...

    Latest News

    Best MLB Prop Bets Today, April 24, 2024

    Today's MLB slate has lots in store. Among those 15 contests is the Boston Red Sox taking on the Cleveland Guardians.One of the most fun ways to wager on baseball is via MLB player prop bets. There are props for...

    Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks (12-13) are -122 favorites to take Game 3 of th series from the St. Louis Cardinals (10-14) Wednesday at 1:15 PM ET. The teams enter the matchup with the series record tied, and the underdog Cardinals are...

    Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals Probable Starting Pitchers – April 24

    The Arizona Diamondbacks (12-13) play on the road against the St. Louis Cardinals (10-14) on Wednesday. The contest is set to start at 1:15 PM ET.The Diamondbacks will look to Jordan Montgomery (1-0) versus the Cardinals and Kyle Gibson (1-2).Diamondbacks...

    Pacers vs. Bucks Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Indiana Pacers are 4-point favorites in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, beginning at 5:30 PM ET on ESPN. The series is tied 1-1. The over/under...

    Suns vs. Timberwolves Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Minnesota Timberwolves are slight 3.5-point underdogs for Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center on Friday, starting at 10:30 PM ET on ESPN. The Timberwolves hold a 2-0 lead...

    Mavericks vs. Clippers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets for NBA Playoffs Game 3 – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Dallas Mavericks are slight 3.5-point favorites in Game 3 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at American Airlines Center on Friday, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN. The series is...

    Thunder vs. Pelicans Predictions, Best Bets and Odds: NBA Playoffs Game 2 – Wednesday, April 24, 2024

    The Oklahoma City Thunder take a 1-0 series record into Game 2 of the opening round of the NBA Playoffs. The Thunder are favored by 7.5 points in the contest, which airs on TNT at 9:30 PM ET. The over/under...

    Predators vs. Canucks NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Picks, Live Odds and Moneyline – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Nashville Predators are solid favorites (-130) at home over the Vancouver Canucks (+110) on Friday at 7:30 PM ET.Predators vs. Canucks Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Predators (-130)Underdog: Canucks (+110)Total: 5.5Best Predators vs. Canucks Promo Codes[lasso type="table" id="1"]How to Watch Predators...

    Avalanche vs. Jets NHL Playoffs First Round Game 3 Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Friday, April 26, 2024

    The Colorado Avalanche are solid favorites (-166) at home against the Winnipeg Jets (+140) on Friday at 10:00 PM ET.Avalanche vs. Jets Favorite, Moneyline, TotalFavorite: Avalanche (-166)Underdog: Jets (+140)Total: 6.5Best Avalanche vs. Jets Promo Codes[lasso type="table" id="1" link_id="1595716"]How to Watch...

    How to Watch Braves vs. Marlins: Live Stream or on TV

    Marcell Ozuna and the Atlanta Braves (16-6) host Luis Arraez and the Miami Marlins (6-19) on Wednesday, with first pitch at 7:20 PM ET.The article below will give you everything you need to watch Atlanta take on Miami.When is Braves...

    more blackhawks news