NHL: 11 of 30 teams not making money

TORONTO, May 30 (UPI) -- An internal NHL report shows 31 percent of $1.1 billion in ticket revenue comes from Canada's six teams and 11 of the 24 U.S. teams aren't making money.

The report obtained by the Toronto Star said the Toronto Maple Leafs led the league with $1.9 million in ticket revenue per game, or $77.9 for the regular hockey season.

At the opposite end, the Phoenix Coyotes were last in ticket revenue at $450,000, and the team is losing more than $30 million a season, the Star said.

National Hockey League Players Association Executive Director Paul Kelly saw the NHL report and told the Star it clearly demonstrates the wisdom of placing more franchises in Canada, instead of potential expansion cities such as Las Vegas, Houston or Kansas City.

The league's overall revenue this season is estimated to be as much as $2.56 billion, which is 10 percent more than last year's $2.31 billion, the report said.