Vancouver Canucks Deserve Better from the NHL in 2016
By David Joun
Not even three weeks into 2016, the Vancouver Canucks are filling the NHL headlines.
As a Vancouver Canucks fan, how can one not be pissed off about how ignorant the NHL is of the Canucks? The Canucks are making headlines and the most intriguing of hockey stories, and yet the league just seems to write them off as just another team whose loonie is worth 69 cents American.
Let’s get to the bottom of this, why the NHL has got to thank Vancouver for being one of the most tantalizing teams in the league. Here it is, this week’s Canucklehead Lament, on why the NHL really needs to thank Vancouver.
Reason #1: Gary Bettman says “Revenue is God”
Well, let’s touch on the obvious, first. This league is all about money, revenues and dollar figures all the way, right? Well, the Canucks are doing their share of monetary favour for the NHL. According to Forbes’s 2015 NHL franchise evaluation, as of November 2015, Vancouver ranks fifth in operating income at $35.5 million and sixth in revenue at $152 million. Above them are five of the members of the Original Six, the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yes, Vancouver is generating more revenue than the Detroit Red Wings.
Yes, the Canadian dollar is dropping and the Vancouver market has been on a decline ever since that “Lost Season”. Vancouver finds itself second-last in one-year franchise value progression, suffering a seven percent drop in value from 2014 to 2015. But c’mon Bettman — money.
Next: #2: The Breeding Place of Polarizing Characters and Storylines