The average NHL team is worth $2.71 billion, 23% more than a year ago. Sports Media Watch also wrote that the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged 1.8 million viewers in the U.S. That's up 68% from 2025, and it's the highest average. The world's 20 most valuable sports ownership groups are worth a combined $269 billion, according to CNBC's Most Valuable Sports Empires 2026.