Toronto Maple Leafs valued by Forbes at $1 billion (or maybe not)

According to the report, the sale of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan to Bell Centre and Roger Communications for $2.05 billion in June is what pushed the franchise’s value to the $1 billion mark. In addition to the Maple Leafs, MLSE also includes the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and Air Canada Centre.

The average NHL franchise is worth an estimated $282 million, which is an 18% increase from last season. However, there is a considerable gap between the top and bottom valuations. The top-five teams (in terms of value) are worth an estimated average of $605 million, while the bottom-five are valued at an average of $145 million.