NEW YORK — For the third consecutive year, the Maple Leafs are the NHL’s most valuable team, worth $448 million.
The Leafs increased in value by 9 percent and were easily valued ahead of the New York Rangers in Forbes’ annual rankings. The Rangers are worth $411 million.
The Avalanche, which increased in value by 8 percent, was ninth on the list at $231 million.
“There aren’t too many places where, in the span of four days, you can catch Metallica banging out hard rock, the Avalanche skating with the Wild and the Nuggets racing up and down the hardwood with the Mavericks,” said on its website. “But you can this November at the Pepsi Center, the most profitable mid-market arena in sports. Beside Madonna and Carrie Underwood, teams from arena football (Crush) and the National Lacrosse League (Mammoth) also call Pepsi Center home.”
Third were the Montreal Canadiens at $334 million, followed by the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings ($303 million) and the Philadelphia Flyers ($275 million).
Footnotes.
Minnesota Wild right wing Marian Gaborik missed his sixth consecutive game with an unspecified lower body injury.
• Devils forward Brian Rolston (ankle) and center Bobby Holik (broken pinkie) are day to day with injuries.
Denver Post wire services
