What is the NHL’s stock price, and are they publicly traded? Unfortunately, investors cannot purchase shares of the NHL because it is a private company. However, Rogers Communications (NYSE: RCI), Madison Square Garden Sports Corp (NYSE: MSGS), and Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) are hockey-related stocks that traders can invest in.
Have you ever watched an NHL game before? It’s electric! World-class athletes who can skate at top speed and stop on a dime while avoiding a bone-jarring body check. The National Hockey League is where the best hockey players in the world play. If you’re a hockey fan like me, you’ve probably wondered if you can invest in the sport and buy NHL stock for your portfolio.
NHL Introduction (No Stock Symbol)
The NHL isn’t a publicly traded company. Therefore, you won’t be able to buy stock. However, there are other options to invest in. Now, let’s dive more into hockey.
There are tons of action, international fanbases, and world-famous corporate sponsors. It sounds like all the ingredients of a great company to invest in. The fact is that the NHL is a great business to invest in. In 2023, the league brought in nearly $6.5 billion in total revenue, growing with each new season.
Like other major sports leagues, the NHL is expanding to reach a global audience. This season, the league held games in Munich, Germany; Prague, Czechia; and Tampere, Finland. Hockey is truly a global sport, and the emergence of European powerhouses in international competition has shown this.
This article will discuss the history of the NHL, investing in NHL stock, and other stocks that can provide you with exposure to hockey in your portfolio.
What Is the NHL?
The NHL, or National Hockey League, is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada. It was established in 1917 in Montreal, Quebec, and at its inception, it had only four teams based in Canada.
It wasn’t until 1924 that the NHL expanded into the United States when the Boston Bruins were added as a team. Despite the name, this is not the era of the Original Six teams that we talk about today.
That era did not begin until 1942 and lasted until 1967. The Original Six teams were the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Chicago Blackhawks. All six teams still exist and are considered foundational franchises in the league.
After 1967, the league began to expand rapidly. By 1979, there were 21 teams, and that figure hit 30 by 2000. There are 32 NHL franchises today, with the most recent additions being the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken. Next season, the Arizona Coyotes will pack their bags and move to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Five of the top six most valuable teams are Original Six franchises, led by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are once again the NHL’s most valuable franchise, currently valued at about $2.8 billion. The New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, and Los Angeles Kings are the only franchises worth $2 billion or more.
The NHL and Canada
I’d be remiss in discussing the NHL without mentioning its popularity in its birthplace of Canada. Although 25 of the 32 teams in the NHL are in the United States, the NHL and hockey are woven into Canada’s cultural fabric.
Canadians are taught from a young age to play and watch hockey, just as Americans are with baseball or football. Hockey has always been Canada’s national sport, and the fanfare will always be more intense north of the border.
That’s not to say that Americans don’t love hockey, too. The United States has made great strides in recent years and has one of the best developmental programs in the world now. Hockey is extremely popular across most of Europe, particularly in Russia, the Balkans, and Scandinavia.
Can I Buy NHL Stock?
You’ll probably be disappointed if you want to add NHL stock to your portfolio. The National Hockey League isn’t publicly traded. Therefore, you won’t find NHL stock on major exchanges. Like most professional sports leagues, the NHL is owned by the owners of the 32 franchises and governed by the Board of Governors.
The Commissioner of the NHL is Gary Bettman, who took on the role in February 1993. Bettman has often been criticized for broadening the league’s appeal and establishing franchises in non-hockey markets. He has also been commissioner through three labor stoppages, making him unpopular with fans.
Luckily for the NHL, if it ever did want to list publicly, no companies currently use the ticker symbol NHL. Perhaps one day, I’ll fulfill my dream of investing in a professional sports league!
NHL Stock Competitors
All right, we’ve established that we can’t buy NHL stock. So, can we buy other stocks to gain exposure to the NHL? Absolutely! The NHL has plenty of corporate sponsors, great investments, and even some hockey-related stocks! Here is our list of the top NHL-related stocks to buy in 2024!
1. Rogers Communications (NYSE: RCI)
This stock might be less familiar to American investors, but Rogers Communications is one of the three biggest telecoms in Canada. Aside from being a Canadian company, how exactly is Rogers an NHL stock?
Rogers is a majority owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which, as you saw earlier in this article, is the most valuable franchise in the NHL. The company also owns the Toronto Raptors of the NBA and Toronto FC of MLS. Both the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks have Rogers as the corporate sponsor for their home arenas.
As a stock, Rogers is steady like most telecoms and pays out a solid 3.75% dividend yield for its quarterly dividend.
2. MSG Sports Corp (NYSE: MSGS)
They call it the most famous arena in the world. Madison Square Garden is the home of the Original Six team, the New York Rangers. The Rangers are the second most valuable franchise after the Leafs.
The team is also owned by Madison Square Garden Sports, along with the NBA’s New York Knicks. You can also buy stock in the spin-off stock Madison Square Garden Entertainment (NYSE: MSGE), which also owns MSG and operates other venues under the MSG umbrella.
It might seem weird to own stock in an arena, but think of it more as the company that owns two of the most valuable sports franchises in the world!
3. Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS)
The NHL and the Walt Disney Company have a long history together. Dating back to 1993, when the NHL awarded an expansion team to the Anaheim area, which Disney purchased.
The team was named after the Disney movie The Mighty Ducks and has kept the name, although they have removed the word Mighty. In 2005, Disney would sell the Ducks to Henry Samueli, a co-founder of Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO).
Disney has other ties to the league, including being an official betting partner through its ESPN Bet app and broadcasting rights through ESPN in the United States.
4. MGM Resorts Intl (NYSE: MGM)
Speaking of betting, another official betting partner of the NHL is the BetMGM app. The two companies have a multi-year North American partnership that will see BetMGM provide sports betting for fans, interactive experiences, and direct signage at NHL games and events. MGM is known worldwide for its casino resorts, particularly in Las Vegas and Macau, China.
5. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO)
Some of you might know that the NHL and PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) are official partners. At most NHL games, Pepsi provides soft drinks. However, as of 2024, the official sports drink of the NHL is Bodyarmor, made by the Coca-Cola Company.
What exactly does this mean? On every bench, NHL players drink Bodyarmor during practices and games. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are great companies to invest in any way, and they are heavily integrated into professional sports.
Final Thoughts: NHL Stock
The NHL is quickly gaining popularity in the United States and worldwide. It is considered one of the big five professional sports leagues and earns billions annually. This makes the NHL appealing to investors who want to capitalize on an emerging industry or business.
Unfortunately, the NHL is not publicly traded, so you cannot buy NHL stock. Like most professional sports leagues, the NHL has a different organizational structure than a regular corporation. The league has a commissioner but is managed and regulated by its Board of Governors. In addition, the league is owned by the owners of the 32 franchises.
As a lifelong hockey fan, owning NHL stock would be a dream. Although it isn’t publicly traded, there are plenty of other companies you can invest in to gain exposure to the NHL. From corporate sponsors to betting partners to team ownership, Wall Street has plenty to offer for NHL-related stocks!
Frequently Asked Questions
The NHL is not a publicly traded company so you cannot buy NHL stock. The league is operated by the Board of Governors as well as the owners of the 32 franchises.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are owned by Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment who acquired the team in 1998. The company also owns the Toronto Raptors of the NBA. The majority of stakeholders in MLSE include Rogers Communications and Bell Canada Enterprises.
As of 2024, no NHL teams are directly traded on any stock market. Investing in Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the New York Rangers, is the closest thing. Some professional sports teams that are publicly traded include the Atlanta Braves and Manchester United.
Yes! The Walt Disney Company, a publicly traded New York Stock Exchange company, owns ESPN. Not only does ESPN broadcast NHL games but the ESPN Bet app can be used to bet on NHL games as it is an official sports betting partner of the league.
