Bruins named fifth-most valuable franchise in NHL
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
A pandemic didn’t plummet the worth of the Boston Bruins in the eyes of Forbes, as the magazine named the Bruins the fifth-most valuable NHL franchise in their 2020 valuations, at $1 billion.
This marks the second straight season with the Bruins valued at $1 billion, and this is despite a $58 million dip in revenue from 2019 ($228 million) to 2020 ($170 million).
One thing that seemingly worked in the B’s favor was their work on TD Garden and North Station as a whole, with additional space, retail, and dining options created prior to the 2019-20 season.
“Delaware North, a global leader in hospitality and the owner and operator of TD Garden, completed its first phase of its massive $100 million expansion of the 25-year-old arena ahead of the 2019-20 season,” Forbes’ report on the Bruins read. “The private investment by the Jacobs family provided a combined 50,000 sq. ft. of additional space on all levels. One new feature is the 1928 Club, which has its own dedicated chef for high-end food and cocktails. One hiccup in the renovation was the new seats themselves, which fans grumbled about their comfort. Delaware North eventually adjusted some seatback angles and replaced seats again in the balcony.”
In their report, Forbes highlighted the importance of the sports-crazy market as the biggest boost to the Bruins, with the Boston market accounting for $402 million of their $1 billion valuation.
Only the New York Rangers ($1.65 billion), Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.5 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($1.34 billion), and Chicago Blackhawks ($1.085 billion) were valued higher than the Bruins. The Los Angeles Kings were behind the Bruins in the six spot, valued at $825 million.
At $285 million, and with a league-worst $105 million debt/value, the Arizona Coyotes were ranked dead last on this year’s list.
The NHL is currently aiming to start what would be a 52-to-56 game 2021 season in mid-January, though it will begin without fans in the stands, with a region-based (temporary) divisional realignment.
