Rangers once again the NHL’s most valuable franchise

For the fourth straight year, the New York Rangers are the NHL’s most valuable franchise, according to Forbes.

James Dolan’s hockey team is valued at $1.55 billion, up 3 percent from 2017.

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The Rangers are followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs ($1.35B), the Montreal Canadiens ($1.3B), the Chicago Blackhawks ($1.05B) and the Boston Bruins ($925M) on the 31-team list.

Other area teams fall at Nos. 19 (New Jersey Devils, $455M) and 22 (New York Islanders, $440M).

According to Forbes, the average value of an NHL team is $660 million, a 6 percent increase from last year. The league’s average annual operating hit a record $25 million, a 39 percent rise, due in part to the league’s 2013 collective bargaining agreement, which raised the owners’ split with the players to 50-50.