Montreal Canadiens Receive Record Franchise Valuation

The Montreal Canadiens have always been one of the most important companies in the country, both in terms of cultural and economic impact.

The last time the Habs were given a franchise valuation, it was close to $1.8 billion, more than triple the price Geoff Molson’s group paid when buying the team, the Bell Centre, and Evenko back in 2009.

At the time, the group paid a mere $575 million.

And now that former Canadiens minority owner, Michael Andlauer, has sold his 10 percent stake in the team to purchase the Ottawa Senators, we have a much better idea of how the franchise is currently being valued. Andlauer also served as a representative for the Canadiens at the Board of Governors Meetings.

According to Sportico, since Andlauer had to sell his shares, the team needed a fresh valuation. For the record, Molson is given the first right of refusal for any outstanding shares.

The new valuation is an astonishing $2.5 billion, which is a record for an NHL team.

This means Andlauer’s 10 percent stake in the team was worth roughly $250 million.

This also means that the original investment of $575 million by the Molson Group has more than quadrupled in the last 14 years.

That being said, it’s also fair to point out that Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment (MLSE) was given a $8 billion valuation this summer, however, that also includes a few other assets, including the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, and the MLSE’s Toronto F.C.

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Andlauer has sold his 10% minority interest in the @CanadiensMTL at a $2.5 billion value. ➡️https://t.co/S4FxvSOyj3

It is a record valuation for a standalone NHL team; a stake in Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, which includes the Toronto Maple Leafs, as… pic.twitter.com/OhApR6rotj

— Sportico (@Sportico) November 1, 2023

Rough Start

Andlauer, a lifelong Montreal Canadiens fan who grew up in NDG, is off to a rough start in Ottawa.

Not only has forward Shane Pinto been suspended for 41 games due to a shady decision by the league that involved betting, but the Ottawa Senators have also been penalized a first-round pick due to the mistakes they made during a trade involving Evgenii Dadonov.

At the very least, Senators fans can take solace in knowing those were issues that arose in the past, under a different ownership group, and that now things should improve. Truth be told, it would be very difficult for things to get any worse.

#Sens owner Michael Andlauer says #NHL did not advise him of either investigation – botched Dadonov "no-trade" clause or Pinto sports betting incident – before he closed on purchase.

“Maybe they didn’t want to disrupt [it] to make sure the seller got the best price possible."

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 1, 2023