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Description

Franchise value and ownership history

Franchise name/location history (most to least recent):
  • Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Toronto St. Pats
  • Toronto Arenas

Franchise Valuation and Ownership History
All amounts in US$ unless otherwise noted.
Season   Value
(US$)
In today's
US$
Hockey Franchise
Valuation Rank
1917-18 $2,000 $47,254
Value in Canadian currency: $2,000. Charlie Querrie, Paul Cicero, Frank Heffermau, Harvey Sproule, Percy and Fred Hambly purchased the Toronto Arenas franchise, along with sticks, uniforms and ice privileges for $2,000. (According to another edition of The Hockey News, Charlie Querrie and three other Toronto men purchased the Toronto Arenas franchise, in the new NHL, for C $1,600.)
Source(s): The Hockey News
1926-27 $160,000 $2,738,079
Value in Canadian currency: $160,000. A group headed by Conn Smythe bought 80% of the Toronto St.Pats, of the National Hockey League, from E.W. Bickle for $C 160,000, and renamed them the Maple Leafs. (It was for $150,000 according to the book The Lives of Conn Smythe and $165,000 according to another edition of The Hockey News.)
Source(s): Maclean's / Book: The Lively World of Hockey / Book: Deceptions and Doublecross / Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey / Book: The Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club / Book: Shoots and Scores / The Hockey Research Journal / The Hockey News
1961-62 $3,290,000 $33,340,278
Value in Canadian currency: $3,333,333. Stafford Smythe, Harold Ballard and John Bassett purchased 60% of the team for $2,000,000.
Source(s): The Sporting News
1974-75 $35,770,000 $219,726,891
Value in Canadian currency: $35,000,000. Value of the team based on estimate of owner Harold Ballard.
Source(s): La Presse
1984-85 $13,896,000 $40,518,853
Value in Canadian currency: $18,000,000. According to the book, the franchise was worth upwards of $18M.
Source(s): Book: The Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Club
1990-91 $95,000,000 $220,231,900 1
In November 1990, Molson purchased 20% of the shares of the Toronto Maple Leafs for $19M, which were resold a few years later.
Source(s): Book: La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens
1991-92 $54,000,000 $120,101,329 9
Source(s): Financial World
1992-93 $63,000,000 $135,994,156 7
Source(s): Financial World
1993-94 $77,000,000 $161,451,613 7
Source(s): Financial World
1994-95 $90,000,000 $183,922,548 6
Source(s): Financial World
1995-96 $96,000,000 $190,828,193 8
Source(s): Financial World
1996-97 $105,000,000 $202,770,163 7
(According to The Hockey News - Money & Power 2021, Larry Tanenbaum purchased 12.5% of Maple Leafs Gardens Ltd for $21M (Total valuation of $168M.))
Source(s): Financial World
1998-99 $119,000,000 $221,122,017 10
Source(s): Forbes
1999-00 $151,000,000 $274,570,176 10
Source(s): Forbes
2000-01 $203,000,000 $357,077,236 5
Source(s): Forbes
2001-02 $216,000,000 $369,494,550 6
Source(s): Forbes
2002-03 $241,000,000 $405,819,991 7
Source(s): Forbes
2003-04 $263,000,000 $433,043,596 3
Source(s): Forbes
2004-05 $280,000,000 $449,025,837 2
Source(s): Forbes
2006-07 $332,000,000 $498,848,157 1
Source(s): Forbes
2007-08 $410,000,000 $598,963,056 1
Source(s): Forbes
2008-09 $448,000,000 $630,279,610 1
Source(s): Forbes
2009-10 $470,000,000 $663,573,226 1
Source(s): Forbes / Book: Sports Economics
2010-11 $505,000,000 $701,478,951 1
Source(s): Forbes / Book: Sports Economics
2011-12 $521,000,000 $701,568,863 1
(The franchise was worth $1B according to the book Sports and Labor in the United States)
Source(s): Forbes
2012-13 $1,000,000,000 $1,319,308,332 1
Source(s): Forbes
2013-14 $1,150,000,000 $1,495,256,696 1
Source(s): Forbes
2014-15 $1,300,000,000 $1,663,301,512 1
Source(s): Forbes
2015-16 $1,150,000,000 $1,469,643,912 3
Source(s): Forbes
2016-17 $1,100,000,000 $1,388,233,824 3
Source(s): Forbes
2017-18 $1,400,000,000 $1,730,009,791 2
Source(s): Forbes
2018-19 $1,450,000,000 $1,749,054,199 2
Source(s): Forbes
2019-20 $1,500,000,000 $1,777,164,985 2
Source(s): Forbes
2020-21 $1,500,000,000 $1,755,602,782 2
Source(s): Forbes
2021-22 $1,800,000,000 $2,011,881,919 2
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 $2,000,000,000 $2,069,695,934 2
According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was $2.1B. It was $2.12B according to Sportico.
Source(s): Forbes
2023-24 $2,800,000,000 $2,800,000,000 1
According to Graeme Roustan, in The Hockey News, the value of the franchise without the arena was $3B. It was $2.65B according to Sportico.
Source(s): Forbes