The Toronto Maple Leafs have had their fair share of issues on the ice. Those issues are reportedly starting to be seen off the ice as Forbes has released their financial evaluation of all 30 NHL teams and the Maple Leafs have fallen from the top spot. The accuracy of this report is highly questionable, but it should provide plenty of discussion.
The review, which can be seen in its entirety here, lists the Maple Leafs third in the NHL at an evaluation of $1.15 billion. The New York Rangers ($1.2 billion) and the Montreal Canadiens ($1.175 billion) jumped ahead of the Leafs, claiming the top two spots. The Leafs’s evaluation represents a 12% decrease compared to where the club ranked last year.
What’s behind the drop? If you’ve followed the NHL, you’re probably aware that the Leafs have only competed in the playoffs once since the 2005-06 season. The sellout streak which the Leafs enjoyed for 13 years came to an end in March. The team’s struggles hasn’t had much of an impact on attendance or on finances, but that appears to be finally changing.
If Leafs fans want the team to make a change, the best way to make that feeling known is through their wallet. That trend may be starting, but until the team feels or notices a financial change, there’s no motivation to run things differently.
