Detroit Red Wings now worth over 10 figures

The Detroit Red Wings, prior to their current path of trudging through the doldrums of the National Hockey League's basement, enjoyed a streak of 25 consecutive playoff appearances that saw them win the Stanley Cup four times, along with two additional Cup Finals appearances. 

Always one of the most consistently popular teams with a massive fanbase and road following, Detroit continues to enjoy strong support despite the difficulty of the rebuilding process. And of course, being an Original 6 team certainly helps things. 

The legendary and late team owner Mike Ilitch bought the team in 1982 for a grand total of $8 million ($22,168,000 in 2021 dollars) from the Norris Family. Since then, the team value has consistently gone up. 

We now have the latest edition of the NHL's most valuable franchises list, and Detroit has surpassed $1 billion in net worth.

Most team revenue comes in the form of ticket and suite sales, in-arena food and beverage purchases, and the like - approximately 70% of the team value. 

Not surprisingly, the Toronto Maple Leafs have topped the list with a value of $2 billion. Following them  are the New York Rangers ($1.87 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($1.5 billion), Chicago Blackhawks ($1.36 billion) and Boston Bruins ($1.31 billion).

Detroit comes in at 10th on the list at a value of $1.03 billion. Ahead of them on the list are Los Angels Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers and Washington Capitals. The average net worth of an NHL team in 2021 clocks in at 934 million.