Business booming for NHL, players since last lockout

The NHL, as a business, has thrived since the player lockout of 2004-'05, shrugging off the effects of a crippling slowdown in the North American economy.

Revenues are way up, easily outpacing inflation. And the league's players have been sharing in the bounty too — their salaries have grown alongside a steadily rising salary cap.

But the picture is not all rosy, as the graphic below shows. While the economic powerhouses like the Leafs watch their revenues soar, teams at the lower end of the spectrum continue to struggle.