Player salaries in the National Hockey League

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For a year-by-year list of each team's payroll, see team payrolls in the National Hockey League.

Here are lists of National Hockey League players' salaries since the 1989–90 NHL season.

Contents

[edit] Top 20 salaries in the NHL since 1989

This is a list of the twenty NHL players who have earned the most in salaries between the 1989–90 season and the 2007–08 season.

These figures have been gleaned from different sources,[1] and so may not be perfectly accurate. This is merely an estimation that, for the most part, does not take into account bonuses and sponsor contracts.

These totals also do not take into account partial seasons played—for which a player would only receive a partial salary—except for the shortened 2004–05 season, which affected every player. Thus, the listed totals are a sum of the amounts each player was contracted to receive for a full season.

Top 20 from 1989–90 to 2007–08
Rank Player name Salary (USD) Years active†
1 Jaromir Jagr $ 99,874,893 17 (1990–91 — present)
2 Joe Sakic $ 87,174,047 19 (1988–89 — present)
3 Mats Sundin $ 74,042,632 17 (1990–91 — present)
4 Keith Tkachuk $ 73,848,674 16 (1991–92 — present)
5 Rob Blake $ 73,067,982 18 (1989–90 — present)
6 Nicklas Lidstrom $ 73,065,000 16 (1991–92 — present)
7 Paul Kariya $ 70,686,100 13 (1994–95 — present)
8 Peter Forsberg $ 70,405,214 12 (1994–95 — present)a
9 Mike Modano $ 70,087,650 18 (1989–90 — present)
10 Chris Pronger $ 66,200,500 14 (1993–94 — present)
11 Steve Yzerman $ 64,672,616 22 (1983–84 — 2005–06)
12 Sergei Fedorov $ 61,519,036 17 (1990–91 — present)
13 Brian Leetch $ 59,501,250 18 (1987–88 — 2005–06)
14 Mark Messier $ 58,958,639 25 (1979–80 — 2003–04)
15 Brendan Shanahan $ 58,615,000 20 (1987–88 — present)
16 Teemu Selanne $ 57,857,790 15 (1992–93 — present)
17 Patrick Roy $ 56,771,988 19 (1984–85 — 2002–03)
18 Pavel Bure $ 56,369,794 12 (1991–92 — 2002–03)
19 Doug Weight $ 54,354,775 16 (1991–92 — present)
20 Dominik Hasek $ 54,152,300 16 (1990–91 — present)b
† "Years active" excludes the 2004–05 NHL season, as the league was not operating that year. It also includes seasons prior to the 1989–90 NHL season, although the salaries paid during this time may not be included in the total.
a Peter Forsberg missed the 2001–02 due to injury.
b Dominik Hasek did not play the 2002–03 NHL season because he had retired, though he returned the following season.

[edit] Top five contracts by season

[edit] 1989–90 season

  1. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 2,000,000
  2. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $ 1,720,000
  3. Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers) $ 860,000
  4. Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $ 700,000
  5. Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders) $ 575,000

[edit] 1990–91 season

  1. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $ 3,000,000
  2. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 2,180,000
  3. Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $ 1,300,000
  4. Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins) $ 1,194,000
  5. Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) $ 1,116,000

[edit] 1991–92 season

  1. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $ 3,000,000
  2. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 2,340,000
  3. Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) $ 1,500,000
  4. Pat LaFontaine (Buffalo Sabres) $ 1,400,000
    Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $ 1,400,000

[edit] 1992–93 season

  1. Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) $ 3,500,000
  2. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $ 3,000,000
  3. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 2,408,000
  4. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $ 2,385,000
  5. Pat LaFontaine (Buffalo Sabres) $ 1,775,000

[edit] 1993–94 season

  1. Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) $ 3,350,000
  2. Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $ 3,200,000
  3. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 3,000,000
    Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $ 3,000,000
  4. Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens) $ 2,659,300

[edit] 1994–95 season

After the 1994–95 NHL season was shortened to 48 games due to a lockout, players earned only about 56% of their predicted salary.

  1. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $ 3,660,000 (Predicted salary of $ 6,540,000)
  2. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $ 3,450,000 (Predicted salary of $ 6,290,000)
  3. Scott Stevens (New Jersey Devils) $ 3,240,000 (Predicted salary of $ 5,800,000)
  4. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $ 2,610,000 (Predicted salary of $ 4,500,000)
  5. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 2,361,429 (Predicted salary of $ 4,071,429)

[edit] 1995–96 season

  1. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings/St. Louis Blues) $ 6,540,000
  2. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $ 6,290,000
  3. Keith Tkachuk (Winnipeg Jets) $ 6,000,000
  4. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 4,571,400
  5. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $ 4,500,000

[edit] 1996–97 season

  1. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 11,350,000
  2. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $ 6,000,000
  3. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $ 5,000,000
  4. Pat LaFontaine (Buffalo Sabres) $ 4,600,000
  5. Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens) $ 4,567,000

[edit] 1997–98 season

  1. Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) $ 16,450,000 [2]
  2. Chris Gratton (Philadelphia Flyers) $ 10,150,000
  3. Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) $ 6,250,500
  4. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $ 6,000,000
  5. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $ 5,500,000

[edit] 1998–99 season

  1. Sergei Fedorov (Detroit Red Wings) $ 14,500,000 [2]
  2. Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $ 8,250,000
  3. Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) $ 8,000,000
    Dominik Hasek (Buffalo Sabres) $ 8,000,000
  4. Mats Sundin (Toronto Maple Leafs) $ 6,347,000

[edit] 1999–2000 season

  1. Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 10,400,000
  2. Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $ 10,000,000
  3. Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) $ 9,000,000
  4. Theoren Fleury (New York Rangers) $ 8,500,000
    Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) $ 8,500,000

[edit] 2000–01 season

  1. Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) $ 10,000,000
    Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $ 10,000,000
  2. Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins) $ 9,842,708
  3. Pavel Bure (Florida Panthers) $ 9,000,000
  4. Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $ 8,300,000

[edit] 2001–02 season

  1. Jaromir Jagr (Washington Capitals) $ 11,000,000
  2. Pavel Bure (Florida Panthers/New York Rangers) $ 10,000,000
    Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $ 10,000,000
  3. Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) $ 9,832,727
  4. Chris Pronger (St. Louis Blues) $ 9,500,000
    Teemu Selanne (San Jose Sharks) $ 9,500,000

[edit] 2002–03 season

  1. Jaromir Jagr (Washington Capitals) $ $11,483,333
  2. Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $ 11,000,000
  3. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $ 10,500,000
  4. Pavel Bure (New York Rangers) $ 10,000,000
    Paul Kariya (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) $ 10,000,000

[edit] 2003–04 season

  1. Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) $ 11,000,000
    Jaromir Jagr (Washington Capitals) $ 11,000,000
  2. Sergei Fedorov (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) $ 10,000,000
    Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $ 10,000,000
    Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $ 10,000,000

[edit] 2004–05 season

Season cancelled (see 2004–05 NHL lockout).

[edit] 2005–06 season

The team salary cap is $39 million. Under the latest NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, no player can earn more than 20 percent of the team salary cap ($7.8 million).

  1. Jaromir Jagr (New York Rangers) $ 8,360,000[3]
  2. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $ 7,600,000
    Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $ 7,600,000
    Alexei Yashin (New York Islanders) $ 7,600,000
  3. Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) $ 7,000,000

[edit] 2006–07 season

The team salary cap is $44 million. No player can earn more than $8.8 million.

  1. Jaromir Jagr (New York Rangers) $ 8,360,000
  2. Brad Richards (Tampa Bay Lightning) $ 7,800,000
  3. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $ 7,600,000
    Mats Sundin (Toronto Maple Leafs) $ 7,600,000
    Alexei Yashin (New York Islanders) $ 7,600,000

[edit] 2007–08 season

The team salary cap is $50.3 million. No player can earn more than $10.06 million.

  1. Daniel Briere (Philadelphia Flyers) $ 10,000,000
    Scott Gomez (New York Rangers) $ 10,000,000
    Thomas Vanek (Buffalo Sabres) $ 10,000,000
  2. Jaromir Jagr (New York Rangers) $ 8,360,000
  3. Kimmo Timonen (Philadelphia Flyers) $ 8,000,000

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

Ice hockey
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Business and economics
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  1. ^ Sources: Sports Illustrated, Forbes, l'Équipe magazine, NHL.com, and certain financial sites dedicated to professional sports.
  2. ^ a b The given salary includes a signing bonus.
  3. ^ $ 7,800,000 + $ 560,000 in arrears from the Washington Capitals.

[edit] External links


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