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Description

Franchise value and ownership history

Franchise name/location history (most to least recent):
  • Montreal Canadiens

Franchise Valuation and Ownership History
All amounts in US$ unless otherwise noted.
Season   Value
(US$)
In today's
US$
Hockey Franchise
Valuation Rank
1910-11 $7,500 $229,934
Value in Canadian currency: $7,500. Ambrose O'Brien sold the team to George Kendall (aka George Kennedy) and 115 shareholders for $C 7,500.
Source(s): Maclean's / Book: The Lively World of Hockey / Book: Deceptions and Doublecross / Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey / Book: Georges Vezina, l'habitant silencieux
1921-22 $9,900 $167,995
Value in Canadian currency: $11,000. After the death of George Kendall (aka George Kennedy), the team was auctionned off. On November 4, 1921, Leo Dandurand, Louis Letourneau, and Joe Cattarinich bought it for $C 11,000. (Sold by Kennedy's widow for $11,500, according to the book Deceptions and Deblecross)
Source(s): Book: La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens / Maclean's / Book: The Lively World of Hockey / Book: 99 Stories of the Game / Book: The Lives of Conn Smythe / Book: Georges Vezina, l'habitant silencieux / The Sporting News / The Hockey Research Journal / The Hockey News
1935-36 $165,000 $3,642,748
Value in Canadian currency: $165,000. Leo Dandurand and Joe Cattarinich, who purchased the shares of Louis Letourneau for $150,000 fours years before, sold the team to the Canadian Arena Company, headed by Senator Raymond, for $C 175,000. (It was for $175,000 according to the book La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens.)
Source(s): McLean's / The Sporting News / The Hockey News
1957-58 $1,043,000 $11,246,874
Value in Canadian currency: $1,000,000. The Canadian Arena Company sold the team to Senator Hartland Molson for $C 1M.
Source(s): Maclean's / The Sporting News
1971-72 $15,246,000 $114,053,184
Value in Canadian currency: $15,400,000. During the season, the Canadian Arena Company sold the Canadiens and the Montreal Forum to Edward and Peter Bronfman, the Bank of Nova Scotia and Baton Broadcasting, Inc. for a reported $15.4M plus assorted fringe benefits including $2.5M savings because the sale took place just before the implementation of a new capital gains tax. (It was for $13M according to the book Pierre Gervais : Au coeur du vestiaire.)
Source(s): Book: La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens / La Presse / Book: Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey / Book: American Sports Empire: How the Leagues Breed Success.
1978-79 $17,540,000 $81,448,199
Value in Canadian currency: $20,000,000. In August 1978, the Canadian Arena Banking Corporation (owned by the Bronfman family) sold the team to the Molson Brewery for $C 20M. (It was sold for $C23M according to The Sporting news and $C 40M according to Book: Guy Lafleur - L'ombre et la lumiere)
Source(s): Book: La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens / Book: Serge Savard - Canadien jusqu'au bout / Book: Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey / Forbes / Book: Pierre Gervais : Au coeur du vestiaire
1986-87 $32,400,000 $89,535,261
Value in Canadian currency: $45,000,000.
Source(s): Fortune
1991-92 $62,000,000 $137,894,119 3
Source(s): Financial World
1992-93 $73,000,000 $157,580,530 4
Source(s): Financial World
1993-94 $82,000,000 $171,935,484 4
Source(s): Financial World
1994-95 $86,000,000 $175,748,212 8
Source(s): Financial World
1995-96 $86,000,000 $170,950,256 10
Source(s): Financial World
1996-97 $95,000,000 $183,458,719 11
Source(s): Financial World
1997-98 $95,000,000 $179,264,266 3
Source(s): Financial World
1998-99 $167,000,000 $310,314,091 6
Source(s): Forbes
1999-00 $175,000,000 $318,210,469 7
Source(s): Forbes
2000-01 $191,000,000 $335,969,222 8
According to the book Back to Beer...and Hockey: The Story of Eric Molson, in late January 2001, George Gillet purchased 80.1% of the Montreal Canadien and 100% of the Molson Center, from the Molson brewery, for $275M.
Source(s): Forbes
2001-02 $182,000,000 $311,333,371 10
Source(s): Forbes
2002-03 $187,000,000 $314,889,371 10
Source(s): Forbes
2003-04 $170,000,000 $279,914,112 10
Source(s): Forbes
2004-05 $195,000,000 $312,714,422 9
Source(s): Forbes
2006-07 $230,000,000 $345,587,579 7
Source(s): Forbes
2007-08 $283,000,000 $413,430,597 4
Source(s): Forbes
2008-09 $334,000,000 $469,895,959 3
The Molson brothers (Geoffrey, Andrew and Justin) buy the Montreal Canadiens, Bell Center and Groupe Spectacles Gillett from George Gillett for $575M.
Source(s): Forbes / Book: La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens / Book: Beyond the Scoreboard
2009-10 $339,000,000 $478,619,838 3
Source(s): Forbes / Book: Sports Economics
2010-11 $408,000,000 $566,739,430 3
Source(s): Forbes / Book: Sports Economics
2011-12 $445,000,000 $599,228,683 3
(The franchise was worth $575M according to the book Sports and Labor in the United States.)
Source(s): Forbes
2012-13 $575,000,000 $758,602,291 3
Source(s): Forbes
2013-14 $775,000,000 $1,007,672,991 3
Source(s): Forbes
2014-15 $1,000,000,000 $1,279,462,702 3
Source(s): Forbes
2015-16 $1,180,000,000 $1,507,982,449 2
Source(s): Forbes
2016-17 $1,120,000,000 $1,413,474,439 2
Source(s): Forbes
2017-18 $1,250,000,000 $1,544,651,599 3
Source(s): Forbes
2018-19 $1,300,000,000 $1,568,117,558 3
Source(s): Forbes
2019-20 $1,340,000,000 $1,587,600,720 3
Source(s): Forbes
2020-21 $1,340,000,000 $1,568,338,485 3
Source(s): Forbes
2021-22 $1,600,000,000 $1,788,339,483 3
According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was between $1.5B and $2B.
Source(s): Forbes
2022-23 $1,850,000,000 $1,914,468,739 3
According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was $1.8B. It was $1.7B according to Sportico.
Source(s): Forbes
2023-24 $2,300,000,000 $2,300,000,000 3
According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was $2.25B. It was $2.27B according to Sportico.
Source(s): Forbes