CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

Do NHL owners patch the roofs of their arenas?

Do they fix their ice making plants when they break down?

Of course they do. It’s good business to keep their assets in top shape.

This is true of any business.

And the NHL is big business. The combined values of the 30 teams is nearly $6.7 billion dollars – this according to Forbes Magazine’s league-wide appraisals.

So, why don’t the NHL teams protect their greatest assets – their players?

By allowing repeated head attacks, they are undermining their businesses.

The preceding chart shows the increases and decreases in teams’ values – as determined by Forbes Magazine.

There are numerous variables used to determine a team’s value, but success tops the list.

Washington was up 15% last season.

Forbes wrote:

“Winning counts for a lot in the NHL where gate receipts contribute a higher percentage of revenue than any other major league and home playoff games can bring in between $700,000 to $1 million for the Capitals. That is good news for the Capitals who rode superstar Alex Ovechkin to the second round of the playoffs last season and fans believe the team could be a premier franchise for years to come…at the start of this season the team was close to selling all 12,000 of its season tickets. Meanwhile, ratings for Capitals broadcasts on CSN Mid-Atlantic were up 67% last year. The Capitals brand has also rebounded, with the team among the league leaders in merchandise sales.”

Many have commented on the loss of Ovechkin – due to injury – and its impact on the NHL.

What if he was injured by a head attack?

It would be devastating to the Caps and the league.

And not good business.

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GM Place photo courtesy of ultradev.martell.ca

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EARLY ATTENDANCE TRENDS IN THE NHL – THIS SEASON