According to the New York Times, New York State comptroller candidate Adem Bunkeddeko is interested in using the the state’s pension fund to purchase a stake in the Rangers and NBA’s New York Knicks as well as their parent company, Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers, of course, are run by James Dolan in his role as executive chairman and CEO of MSG Sports. He is the controlling owner of the Rangers, as well as the Knicks, MSG, Radio City Music Hall and other landmarks like the Las Vegas-based Sphere.

Adem Bunkeddeko believes New Yorkers ‘should have stake’ in Rangers, Knicks

Government intervention in a pro sports team is a non-starter for many fans, especially Rangers fans. But Bunkeddko, a Democrat who twice lost congressional bids in New York’s ninth district which covers Brooklyn, views the potential purchase of shares as an investment in the city’s lifeblood.

“I think the headline is, ‘Should billionaires be the only people who get to own our culture?’” Bunkeddeko told Ken Belson of the Times. “It could be a win for the state pension, and it also can be a win for the future of New York and the franchises and sports teams generally. From my perspective, the Knicks and the Rangers are part of our identity, and New Yorkers should have a stake.”

Bunkeddeko told the Times that, if elected, he would try to buy up about 5 percent of shares in the teams by using the state’s pension fund, which is worth $290 billion, since that is the largest investment the fund can make in a single entity. According to Belson’s reporting, there are roughly 15-17 percent of shares available for purchase.

But Bunkeddeko hopes by having a small-yet-significant stake in the team, the fund could in practice purchase a seat on the MSG board. That could entitle residents to have a voice in how the team is operated.

Imagine how those meetings would go at a time like this, when the Rangers publicly raised the white flag on this disappointing season, not long after Dolan preached patience and support for general manager Chris Drury.

“I would say it’s not simply just buying a little bit of shares, but being a significant minority player with the option of growing that stake,” he explained.

Rangers wouldn’t be first NHL team owned by fans

The NFL’s Packers are, of course, the model when it comes to a publicly owned pro sports franchise, since they’re controlled by roughly a half-million fans who purchased shares in the team.

In the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs were once owned by the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. The pension plan initially invested $44 million, then sold its controlling stake of the team in 2012 for more than $1.3 billion — an eye-popping 30x return on investment.

Before them, the Hartford Whalers were also publicly owned with 17 corporations bankrolling the team’s operation for roughly 13 years, between 1975-88.

So Bunkeddeko’s plan is far from radical, and he is trying to use the initiative to drum up support in his candidacy. Bunkeddeko is considered an underdog to unseat current state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who currently oversees the trust fund.

Bunkeddeko and DiNapoli are only two of the candidates slated to be on the ballot for the 2026 comptroller primary election. That will be held June 23.

The Rangers had to a day off to lick their wounds following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth the night before, not to mention the brutal double-barreled injury updates on Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox. But 10 other Eastern Conference teams were in action.

That’s significant because each outcome either had a positive or negative effect on New York’s playoff hopes. And that’s particularly so because every team in the East has games in hand on the Rangers.

Not that Mike Sullivan and Co. ride the emotional rollercoaster that comes with intently examining each and every result, each and every night. The Rangers must focus on taking care of their own business. But yes, they’re aware of what’s going on around them, and the position they put themselves in with their 20-18-6 record.

So, they wake up Wednesday and remain three points out of the second wild card, though they are 15th out of 16 teams in the East when it comes to points percentage. The Pittsburgh Penguins hold the final playoff spot in the East, and didn’t play Tuesday. They have three games in hand on the Rangers.

The Buffalo Sabres held on for a 5-3 home win against the Vancouver Canucks; and the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Anaheim Ducks. Those results weren’t good news for the Rangers in the tightly-packed conference.

And that 9-0 Islanders thrashing of the New Jersey Devils? Good and bad for the Blueshirts, though probably more good since the spiraling Devils remain tied in points with the Rangers, and the Islanders are further up the food chain, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division.

The Florida Panthers lost and remain one point ahead of the Rangers with two games in hand. That’s good. But they lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who jumped the Rangers in points and also have two games in hand.

But, hey, the Boston Bruins lost and remain equal in points with the Blueshirts, and only have one game in hand now.

You get the picture. You can drive yourself mad getting too far into the weeds with each result, especially with so much hockey left to be played. But this is the tough spot the Rangers find themselves in. Though the Blueshirts focus must be lasered in on their next game, Thursday at MSG against the Sabres. That’s the only one that matters right now.

New York Rangers news and analysis

Here’s our story on the latest Rangers injury updates, with Fox surprisingly landing on LTIR and Shesterkin placed on IR, though still being evaluated.

Rangers owner James Dolan did a rare interview on WFAN two days ago and expressed confidence in general manager Chris Drury and coach Mike Sullivan, preaching patience as they instill a new culture with the organization. Here’s our breakdown of what Dolan said.

NHL news and rumors

New York Post: Former Rangers forward Anthony Duclair broke out with a hat trick to help the Islanders blow out — and shut out — the Devils 9-0.

NHL.com: Duclair wasn’t the only former Blueshirt to have a big night Tuesday. K’Andre Miller recorded his second two-goal outing for the Carolina Hurricanes in their 6-3 home win over the Dallas Stars.

New Jersey Hockey Now: Back to the Devils. They’re in a crazy freefall right now — taking pages out of the Rangers’ book from 2024-25, perhaps? — and James Nichols does a great job here dissecting whether Sheldon Keefe remains the right coach for this team. He also breaks down why general manager Tom Fitzgerald deserves to be on the hot seat.

The Athletic: Aaron Portzline analyzes the Columbus Blue Jackets addition of Egor Zamula, and the defenseman’s winding path through three Metropolitan Division teams in the past week.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports that the Vancouver Canucks are trying to re-sign rugged forward Kiefer Sherwood, though with an eye on the March 6 NHL trade deadline.

Sportsnet: In a scary scene in Winnipeg, Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury was stretchered off the ice and taken to the hospital after he crashed hard into the boards.

Philly Hockey Now: Trevor Zegras got a measure of revenge against the Anaheim Ducks, scoring two goals against his former team in a 5-2 Flyers victory.

Florida Hockey Now: Do the Panthers have another key injury to worry about? George Richards examines what’s next after Brad Marchand leaves game against the Maple Leafs early with unspecified issue.

Dolan rarely speaks publicly about the Rangers, or New York Knicks, the NBA team he also owns. But he was a guest Monday on WFAN radio in New York, appearing in studio with host Craig Carton, wearing a Rangers scarf on his way to the Blueshirts game against the Utah Mammoth at Madison Square Garden.

“You have to be patient. The team has to jell together. They have to see that they can win. They have to believe in themselves,” Dolan said about the Rangers. “I think the team from last year didn’t really believe in themselves. So, installing that kind of culture — and hockey is even harder because there are more players, right? — that’s going to take a while.”

Dolan sounded pragmatic, yet upbeat about his hockey team. That’s even though the Rangers (20-18-6) own the worst points percentage (.523) in the Eastern Conference, have the second-fewest wins on home-ice in the NHL (five), and are the second-lowest scoring team in the League, averaging 2.59 goals per game.

However, with historic parity in the NHL this season, the Rangers are right in the middle of a tight playoff race.

“I’m being patient. We’re not out of it by any means. We’re still very much in it,” he said,

“Don’t give up on my team this year.”

A couple hours after Dolan’s hopeful take, the Rangers were on the receiving end of a nasty 1-2 gut punch. Star goalie Igor Shesterkin sustained a lower-body injury in the first period. And then the Rangers blew a third-period lead and lost 3-2 to the Mammoth in overtime.

Shesterkin appeared to be seriously hurt, unable to place weight on his left leg when helped off the ice. The loss was New York’s fourth in its past five games (1-3-1).

Rangers owner willing to be patient with Chris Drury, Mike Sullivan ‘installing new culture’

Though the latest turn of events isn’t positive, Dolan sees that the Rangers are headed in the right direction in one key area: culture. That was at the heart of his answer when Carton asked Dolan if he still believed in Drury, even after the Rangers failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, one year after winning the Presidents’ Trophy.

“Yes, absolutely. He and Mike Sullivan are installing a new culture into that club, and that does not happen overnight.”

Carton didn’t question Drury’s role in building that failed 2024-25 team, nor how his heavy-handed approach created a serious chasm between the players and management that helped torpedo a once-hopeful season.

“What I can tell you about Mr. Drury from the day I hired him is Chris Drury is a winner and a competitor. He’s won, himself, he can’t stand to lose,” Dolan said.

It’s no secret Dolan is a fan of Drury, his hand-picked choice to replace both John Davidson as president of the Rangers and Jeff Gorton as GM in May of 2021. And Sullivan is the coach Drury always wanted to hire, before finally doing so this past spring.

So, it wasn’t surprising that former coach Peter Laviolette appeared to be the scapegoat for the culture issue last season.

“We thought they they needed a change in the coach, right?,” Dolan said. “This coach [Sullivan] is a culture coach. He’s also a collaborator and a builder of teams. “

In nearly three decades owning the two sports tenants at MSG, Dolan’s been historically more hands-off with the Rangers than the Knicks. He trusted Glen Sather, despite a rocky start to his tenure as the head of hockey operations. And clearly, he buys into Drury’s vision.

“As an owner you have to be patient. The guy sets out a plan. When I get impatient is when we veer off the plan, reach for the shiny thing and think we can win a championship or build a championship team in one fell swoop,” Dolan explained. “You know, I’ve been at this for almost 30 years and I can tell you it does happen once in a while but I don’t think that’s the way. I don’t think that’s how we’re going to win.”

“Besides the stellar job that Larry did covering the New York Rangers, what few people know is that he and I would meet on occasion and he would give me his unabashed opinion on how the franchise was doing and what we needed to do to win,” Dolan told The New York Post, for whom Brooks covered the NHL for nearly four decades.

“This never appeared in any of his columns, but I found his advice to be invaluable and will miss it dearly.”

That’s the level of respect Brooks had within the hockey world. As many said since news broke of his passing, you may not have liked him; you may not have agreed with him; but you always read what Brooks wrote.

Statement from the New York Rangers on the passing of Hall of Fame writer Larry Brooks. pic.twitter.com/RfQiG3gUJA

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) November 13, 2025

But Dolan seemed to take it a step further, seeking out Brooks for his opinions and thoughts, ones not shared in his printed Rangers articles or weekly Slap Shots column in the Post.

Former Rangers general manager Neil Smith believes these meetings were mutually beneficial.

“What it speaks to me is the amount of respect that Jim Dolan had for Larry Brooks and the fact that he wanted him on his side,” Smith told Forever Blueshirts on the Rink Rap podcast. “Now, does that mean Larry was going to write all positive things about Jim and his club? No. But it was strategically smart to make sure that you were friendly with the guy that’s got the most say in the city about your franchise.

“I do believe there was a respect there; but I do believe that the respect really came from [Dolan thinking] this guy is a big-time influencer — meaning Larry Brooks — so I had better get to know him and see how he thinks and see if he’s got anything I can glean to do better with my club.”

Former Rangers GM Neil Smith among those who got past ‘horrible battles’ with Larry Brooks

Tributes poured in for the Hockey Hall of Famer, who was enshrined with the Class of 2018 when he won the Elmer Ferguson Award “in recognition of distinguished members of the hockey-writing profession whose words have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.”

Throughout my career he was always there, asking questions. I had many conversations with Larry Brooks, almost daily about my game, the Rangers and the game as a whole. I respected his knowledge a ton. Thank you Larry for your commitment to the game, you will be missed. RIP🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/2u9nA5orEu

— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist) November 13, 2025

Though unsurprising that someone like Henrik Lundqvist, who had a solid professional relationship with Brooks, publicly stated that he “respected his knowledge a ton” and commended Brooks for his “commitment to the game,” it said much about the man that former Rangers Sean Avery and Tony DeAngelo had such positive things to say.

“Very sad to hear about the passing of Larry Brooks,” DeAngelo posted on X. “Nobody did the job like him. His opinions were strong but he was always willing to say them to your face & let you have your say back. Him & I became closer over the years talking frequently about hockey. Will miss those talks , always appreciated his perspective on things.”

As for Smith, he and Brooks crossed paths for several years, though Brooks didn’t join the Rangers beat at the Post until after the Blueshirts won the Stanley Cup in 1994. Brooks didn’t give Smith much leeway over the ensuing years just because he was the Cup-winning GM.

“I had horrible battles with Larry,” said Smith, who was fired as Rangers general manager after the 1999-2000 season. “I called him some names I’m not very proud of today. But it was all in the course of doing my job and him in the course of doing his job. When that job was over, you didn’t hate the guy, you didn’t dislike the person … but if you were man enough, you could separate the two things, the person from the role he had to play.”

Clearly, former Rangers coach John Tortorella felt the same way. He and Brooks had many arguments during Tortorella’s tenure behind the Blueshirts bench from 2009-13 — including a very well-known public scrap that almost got physical. But, as reported in the New York Post, Tortorella reached out to Brooks in his final days upon hearing how ill the longtime reporter was.

Relationships are complicated. And that was the case with Brooks and those he reported on and covered over the years. In the end, there was respect..

But ESPN hockey insider Greg Wyshynski believes that James Dolan wanted to be heard loud and clear that Drury is in charge and has the absolute support of the Rangers owner after Mika Zibanejad and others aired their grievances Monday about how management helped sink their season.

“The fact that they did this is a shot across the bow at the locker room to say ‘You should know who’s in charge. You should all fall in line. And the squeaky wheels will be rolled out of the locker room before next season,'” Wyshynski told Forever Blueshirts on the latest RINK RAP podcast.

Contract extensions for the general manager or coach under Dolan’s stewardship have generally been quiet affairs, not announced publicly by the Rangers. The only time there’s a public announcement is when there’s a change, like when Drury replaced Jeff Gorton as GM and John Davidson as team president in May 2021, or more recently when Peter Laviolette was fired as coach last weekend.

Chris Drury Agrees to Multi-Year Contract Extension

Full details: https://t.co/GHE8vZf2uU

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 23, 2025

Not this time. The Rangers alerted the media and posted on social media that Drury’s contract was extended — a very public show of support by Dolan, who likely was irked by players blaming Drury for his heavy-handed approach to reshaping the roster. More specifically, players ranging from Zibanejad to Adam Fox to Chris Kreider all detailed how Drury’s handling of respected veterans on the way out the door impacted the dressing room.

“My first thought was: Look who won,” Wyshynski said. “If there’s any thought that the players through their post-season comments — and you can’t separate this news from what those guys were saying after the season about the lack of communication within the organization, about the impact of Drury’s approach to Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba had in the locker room … you can’t separate that from being so public in announcing a new multi-year contract for their general manager, coming off a season in which they precipitously fell from the Presidents’ Trophy to becoming a non-playoff team.”

There’s plenty of blame to go around the Rangers this season. From management to the coaches to the players, it was an epic fail. The Rangers finished with 29 fewer points than 2023-24 and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by six points, just a year after setting franchise records for wins (55) and points (114).

Drury accepted his share of the blame after firing Laviolette. The GM sought to retool the roster last summer after the Rangers were bounced in the Eastern Conference Final by the Florida Panthers in six games. Needing to create space under the tight salary cap, he worked around Goodrow’s no-trade clause by placing the two-time Stanley Cup champion on waivers, where he was claimed in a pre-arranged agreement by the San Jose Sharks.

Goodrow didn’t receive much notice about this move and was particularly pissed off because the Sharks were on his no-trade list.

Then there was the drawn-out situation with Trouba, whom Drury tried to trade last offseason but was stymied by the captain blocking any move with his 15-team no-trade clause. That the situation became public was a major problem for Trouba and his Rangers teammates right from Day 1 of training camp. It continued until Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in December — only after Drury threatened to put the defenseman on waivers.

“I sympathize with some of them (the players) because there’s a difference between breaking up the team and breaking up the team in the manner Chris Drury sought to do it,” Wyshynski explained. “The big problem the room had with the Trouba situation was the attempt to strong arm him in the summer and the knowledge that his time in New York was basically over, basically cutting the legs out from under him as the captain.”

WATCH complete RINK RAP interview with Greg Wyshynski on the Forever Blueshirts YouTube page

Rangers may expect more ‘strong-arming’ from Chris Drury this offseason

Now that it’s clear Drury’s not going anywhere and has the power of Dolan behind him, what happens with disgruntled players and how will the GM try to reshape the roster this summer?

It’s clear the Rangers want to be tougher to play against and shed their soft image — on and off the ice — which only was exacerbated by a slew of no-show performances that submarined their playoff chances this season. That’s why they traded for J.T. Miller in January.

Reading into Dolan’s public display of support for Drury, it’s safe to say that if a player is not on board with how the operation is run, he won’t last long with the Rangers. Again, it feels that Zibanejad is in the cross-hairs here, even though he’s got a no-move clause in his contract.

Kreider expressed his desire to remain with the Rangers. But considering Drury already had the 33-year-old forward’s name spelled out in the infamous November trade memo to other NHL general managers, it’s likely that Kreider’s days are numbered on Broadway, even though he has a 15-team no-trade clause.

“They’ve shown no hesitation in strong-arming veteran players to get what they want,” Wyshynski summed up. “So, it’s all on the table … there’s a number of ways to take it to make someone feel uncomfortable enough to bend to the will of the team as far as trying to move them off of the [salary] cap.”

However, it appears the owner of the team, James Dolan, wants to keep this summer’s top pick for another interesting reason. According to Darren Dreger, Dolan wants to make sure the Rangers have their time in the spotlight at the 2024 NHL Draft being held at the Sphere in Vegas, which he owns.

“The Rangers would like to add a forward,” Dreger began on TSN’s Insider Trading. “James Dolan, the owner of the New York Rangers wants to protect the 2024 first round pick, so that they can be part of the spotlight at the Sphere, where he’s the owner.”

His report goes on to add that it doesn’t mean Drury can’t use the team’s 2025 first-round pick in a trade if needed.

Related: Rangers taking calls on Kaapo Kakko

Rangers want to hold on to 2024 first-round pick

Previously, Dreger reported that the Rangers were taking calls on Kaapo Kakko ahead of the NHL trade deadline on March 8. At the time, there was a lot of skepticism that the Blueshirts would consider trading the 22-year-old forward, even though he hasn’t lived up to being the second overall pick of the 2019 draft.

“Kaapo Kakko is perhaps an asset that Chris Drury considers using as trade bait,” Dreger noted. “New York has cap space and the assets like Kakko to acquire a significant piece.”

A trusted source explained to Forever Blueshirts on Tuesday, that Dreger’s reporting on the Sphere reinforces why Kakko has now become available. Additionally, and others have stressed this as well, the Rangers, especially Dolan, truly believe their window to win the Cup is now.

All of this being said, trading Kakko for a rental makes little sense, unless he’s part of a larger deal. New York definitely needs another third-line center that can provide offense and an upgrade for a top-line right wing over Blake Wheeler.

One team that the Rangers have been speaking with is the Anaheim Ducks, who have center Adam Henrique and winger Frank Vatrano as trade chips.

Henrique, 34, has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) in 49 games and is a pure rental as a UFA in July, Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Vatrano has one year left on his deal at a reasonable $3.65 million. Not bad for an All-Star with 22 goals and 36 points in 50 games.

Forever Blueshirts caught up with Vatrano at All-Star Weekend, where he spoke glowingly of his time on Broadway. As for his name in trade rumors, the speedy winger states he’s unaware.

“I’m happy in Anaheim, I love it there,” Vatrano explained. “Obviously, I don’t want to go anywhere but that’s way out of my control. I’m excited to be in Anaheim right now.”

The question that needs to be asked is if the Ducks would take Kakko and a 2025 first-round pick for those players with some salary retention? Based on the return the Montreal Canadiens received for rental Sean Monahan (2024 first-round pick and a conditional 2027 third-round pick), that remains to be seen.

Kakko, 22, is on pace for 13 points this season, after a lower-body injury cost him 21 games. His value is at an all-time low, so only a multiplayer deal makes sense for the Rangers to consider moving him.

For the eighth consecutive year, the New York Rangers are the NHL’s most valuable team, worth $2.2 billion, 10% more than last year. The Blueshirts have been in four Eastern Conference finals since 2012 but have only won one Stanley Cup in the last 82 years (1994). Yet the Rangers tied with the Los Angeles Kings for the most revenue ($249 million) last season and were the only team to rake in over $100 million in non-premium ticket revenue.

Forbes

Here’s at look at the top five teams:

• New York Rangers $2.2 billion
• Toronto Maple Leafs $2 billion
• Montreal Canadiens $1.85 billion
• Chicago Blackhawks $1.5 billion
• Boston Bruins $1.4 billion

Forbes list of full values here.

New York Rangers top value team

This report comes off the heels of Sportico’s estimated value in November that placed the Rangers second at $2 billion.

According to Sportico, the Toronto Maple Leafs topped their list of most valued NHL teams. Here’s how they ranked and estimated their top five:

• Toronto Maple Leafs $2.12 billion
• New York Rangers $2.01 billion
• Montreal Canadiens $1.7 billion
• Chicago Blackhawks $1.44 billion
• Boston Bruins $1.41 billion

Sportico based their values on a very comprehensive methodology that includes public information and interviews with multiple team owners, financial officers, team executives, and industry experts.

Forbes based their methodology on “enterprise values (equity plus net debt) and include the economics of each team’s current arena deal but not the value of the real estate itself.”

New York Rangers not for sale

James Dolan is not going to be selling the New York Rangers or New York Knicks.

This has been speculated for years and bubbled back up in August when Jonathan Boyar of Boyar Value Group appeared on CNBC’s Closing Bell Overtime.

“We think it’s likely that after [MSG Sphere] is done, James Dolan, who controls the company, will sell the teams,” Boyar said while discussing Madison Square Garden Sports stock. “What’s interesting is that private equity has gotten involved in a big way. It wouldn’t surprise us to put a marker on one or both of the teams if private equity takes a stake.”

We were contacted by Natalie Ravitz, who is SVP Comms and Marketing at Madison Square Garden later that day after noting those comments. ”We have no plans to sell either of the teams,” she stated.

Early this season, Barron’s published an article discussing Madison Square Gardens Sports doing a “one-time cash dividend of about $175 million, or $7 per share, and repurchase $75 million of stock in its first return of capital to shareholders since it became an independent public company in April 2020.”

It was in that story where James Dolan himself confirmed that neither the Rangers or Knicks were being sold.

Dolan said that estimated team values are based on so-called private-market values, which would occur in a potential sale. The gap between MSG’s market value and private-market value reflects investor expectations that the teams won’t be sold. “They’re right. We’re not,” he said.

Barron’s (Subscription Required)

Back in 1994, Paramount Communication was acquired by Viacom, who in turn sold MSG properties to Cablevision and ITT Corporation. Cablevision became sole owner after buying out ITT. In 1999, James Dolan was given a larger role managing the teams sports operations which included the Knicks and Rangers.*

*Wikipedia

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Check out the latest NHL Trade Bait Tracker List for December here!

Sportico based their values on a very comprehensive methodology that includes public information and interviews with multiple team owners, financial officers, team executives, and industry experts.

The average NHL franchise is worth $1.01 billion—crossing the 10-figure mark for the first time—and up 9% from a year ago. The total value of the league’s 32 clubs, including ownerships’ stakes in real estate, venues, TV networks and team-related holdings, is $32.4 billion. The Toronto Maple Leafs rank first at $2.12 billion, $110 million ahead of the New York Rangers.

Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico

Sportico: Rangers second most valued team

In December of 2021, Forbes named the New York Rangers the NHL’s most valued franchise at $2 billion. It was also the 7th consecutive year that Forbes named the Rangers the top valued team with Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins rounded out the top five respectively.

According to Sportico’s latest, it is now the Toronto Maple Leafs atop the most valued team’s in hockey.

Top 5 Total Value

• Toronto Maple Leafs ($2.12B)
• New York Rangers ($2.01B)
• Montreal Canadiens ($1.7B)
• Chicago Blackhawks ($1.44B)
• Boston Bruins ($1.41B)

Sportico also broke down specific segments to show how they came to the valuations. You can view Sportico’s interactive chart and read about their extensive methodology here.

When it comes to revenue, the Rangers were the top team.

Top 5 Revenue from 2021-22

• New York Rangers ($282M)
• Toronto Maple Leafs ($276M)
• Los Angeles Kings ($262M)
• Montreal Canadiens ($257M)
• Edmonton Oilers ($250M)

Forbes is expected to release their latest valuations in December. It’ll be interesting to see how they rank the Rangers again.

New York Rangers not for sale

Over the summer there was some speculation that James Dolan would possibly be selling either the New York Rangers or New York Knicks.

In early October, Barron’s published an article discussing Madison Square Garden Sports doing a “one-time cash dividend of about $175 million, or $7 per share, and repurchase $75 million of stock in its first return of capital to shareholders since it became an independent public company in April 2020.”

It was in that story where James Dolan himself confirmed that neither the Rangers or Knicks were being sold.

Dolan said that estimated team values are based on so-called private-market values, which would occur in a potential sale. The gap between MSG’s market value and private-market value reflects investor expectations that the teams won’t be sold. “They’re right. We’re not,” he said.

Barron’s (Subscription Required)

Back in 1994, Paramount Communication was acquired by Viacom, who in turn sold MSG properties to Cablevision and ITT Corporation. Cablevision became sole owner after buying out ITT. In 1999, James Dolan was given a larger role managing the teams sports operations which included the Knicks and Rangers.*

*Wikipedia

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Recap all the NHL action from last night. Read more.

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This has been speculated for years and bubbled back up in August when Jonathan Boyar of Boyar Value Group appeared on CNBC’s Closing Bell Overtime.

“We think it’s likely that after [MSG Sphere] is done, James Dolan, who controls the company, will sell the teams,” Boyar said while discussing Madison Square Garden Sports stock. “What’s interesting is that private equity has gotten involved in a big way. It wouldn’t surprise us to put a marker on one or both of the teams if private equity takes a stake.”

We were contacted by Natalie Ravitz, who is SVP Comms and Marketing at Madison Square Garden later that day after noting those comments. ”We have no plans to sell either of the teams,” she stated.

New York Rangers not for sale

On Thursday, Barron’s published an article discussing Madison Square Gardens Sports doing a “one-time cash dividend of about $175 million, or $7 per share, and repurchase $75 million of stock in its first return of capital to shareholders since it became an independent public company in April 2020.”

It was in that story where James Dolan himself confirmed that neither the Rangers or Knicks were being sold.

Dolan said that estimated team values are based on so-called private-market values, which would occur in a potential sale. The gap between MSG’s market value and private-market value reflects investor expectations that the teams won’t be sold. “They’re right. We’re not,” he said.

Barron’s (Subscription Required)

Back in 1994, Paramount Communication was acquired by Viacom, who in turn sold MSG properties to Cablevision and ITT Corporation. Cablevision became sole owner after buying out ITT. In 1999, James Dolan was given a larger role managing the teams sports operations which included the Knicks and Rangers.*

*Wikipedia

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PACIFIC DIVISION PREVIEW: Read more.

Reports of James Dolan possibly selling the New York Rangers and New York Knicks started to spread quickly after an appearance by Jonathan Boyar of Boyar Value Group on CNBC’s Closing Bell Overtime this week.

While discussing Madison Square Garden Sports stock, he noted that upon the completion of the MSG Sphere in Vegas the possibility was there.

“We think it’s likely that after that is done, James Dolan, who controls the company, will sell the teams,” Boyar said. “What’s interesting is that private equity has gotten involved in a big way. It wouldn’t surprise us to put a marker on one or both of the teams if private equity takes a stake.”

New York Rangers not for sale

This isn’t the first time that speculation regarding James Dolan and talk of him selling the teams has come up. Rumors of him looking to sell the Rangers have dated back years and had to be refuted then as well.

Yesterday afternoon, we spoke with a reliable source that indicated there was “less than zero chance” Dolan would move the Rangers.

Later in the evening, a MSG Senior Executive reached out to Forever Blueshirts and other sites providing a comment on the story. ”We have no plans to sell either of the teams,” the message clearly read.

As expected, all the articles regarding the possible sale have been updated to reflect these comments.

World Junior Championship Schedule

The Quarter-Finals matchups are set for Wednesday as the World Junior Championship continues in Edmonton.

Team Canada and their trio of New York Rangers prospect take on Switzerland. They are considered overwhelming favorites after going undefeated in round-robin play.

Team Finland is will face Germany in a favorable matchup.

Two other Rangers prospects will likely square off tomorrow in Brett Berard for Team USA, and possibly Jaroslav Chmelar of Team Czechia. The latter missed the last game due to injury after Brennan Othmann’s skate came up and clipped Chmelar, who hit him from behind. The Czechia winger may have escaped discipline by the IIHF on that play but the cut to his face could keep him out of this contest.

Adam Sykora and Team Slovakia did not qualify for elimination play. Austria was sent home early.

World Junior Championship Schedule (August 17)

• Finland (Vaisanen) vs. Germany 12 PM ET
• Sweden vs. Latvia 3:30 PM ET
• Canada (Othmann, Cuylle, Garand) vs. Switzerland 7 PM ET
• United States (Berard) vs. Czechia (Chmelar) 10:30 PM ET

NYR Prospects’ Stats at WJC

• Brennan Othmann (CAN) 3 GP, 2G, 4A, 6 PTS
• Will Cuylle (CAN) 4 GP, 1G, 1A, 2 PTS
• Dylan Garand (CAN) 3 GP, 3-0, 1.67 GAA, .930 SV%
• Jaroslav Chmelar (CZE) 3 GP, 1G
• Kalle Vaisanen (FIN) 4 GP, 1G, 1A
• Adam Sykora (SVK) 4 GP, 1G
• Brett Berard (USA) 4 GP, 1G

NHL News and Rumors

• Oilers having talking with Sam Gagner, latest on Subban and Kessel
• NHL Rumors: Avs eyeing Stastny, NYR looking for defense
• Jonathan Huberdeau will donate brain to science
• NHL Trade Bait Tracker for August
• J.T. Miller and Canucks not close on new deal