List of highest-paid NHL players by season explained

Here are several lists of National Hockey League players' salaries since the 1989–90 NHL season. This list does not include income from corporate endorsements or salaries before .

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Top 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 2023–24 season.

These figures have been gleaned from certain financial sites dedicated to professional sports, 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 NHL salary-earners from 1989–90 to 2023–24! Rank! Player name! Salary (USD)! Years active†
1 $ 19
2 $ 19
3 $ 16
4 $ 24
5 $ 18
6 $ 18
7 $ 17
8 $ 17
9 $ 13
10 $ 18
11 $ 19
12 $ 24
13 $ 19
14 $ 15
15 $ 15
16 $ 15
17 $ 16
18 $ 16
19 $ 24
20 $ 15

† "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 due to scarcity of information.

Top five contracts by season

1989–90 season

  1. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) million (equivalent to $million in)
  2. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $1.72million ($million in)
  3. Mark Messier (Edmonton Oilers) $0.86million ($million in)
  4. Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $0.7million ($million in)
  5. Bryan Trottier (New York Islanders) $0.575million ($million in)

1990–91 season

  1. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $3 million
  2. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $2.18 million
  3. Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $1.3 million
  4. Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins) $1.194 million
  5. Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) $1.116 million

1991–92 season

  1. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) million (equivalent to $million in)
  2. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $2.34million ($million in)
  3. Brett Hull (St. Louis Blues) $1.5million ($million in)
  4. (tie) Pat LaFontaine (Buffalo Sabres) $1.4million ($million in)
    (tie) Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $1.4million ($million in)

1992–93 season

  1. Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) million (equivalent to $million in)
  2. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $3million ($million in)
  3. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $2.408million ($million in)
  4. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $2.385million ($million in)
  5. Pat LaFontaine (Buffalo Sabres) $1.775million ($million in)

1993–94 season

  1. Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) million (equivalent to $million in)
  2. Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings) $3.2million ($million in)
  3. (tie) Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $3million ($million in)
    (tie) Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings) $3million ($million in)
  5. Patrick Roy (Montreal Canadiens) $2.659million ($million in)

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) $3.66 million (Predicted salary of $6.54 million)
  2. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $3.45 million (Predicted salary of $6.29 million)
  3. Scott Stevens (New Jersey Devils) $3.24 million (Predicted salary of $5.8 million)
  4. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $2.61 million (Predicted salary of $4.5 million)
  5. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $2.361,429 million (Predicted salary of $4.071429 million)

1995–96 season

  1. Wayne Gretzky (Los Angeles Kings/St. Louis Blues) $6.54 million
  2. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $6.29 million
  3. Keith Tkachuk (Winnipeg Jets) $6 million
  4. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $4.5714 million
  5. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $4.5 million

1996–97 season

  1. Mario Lemieux (Pittsburgh Penguins) $11.35 million
  2. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $6 million
  3. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $5 million
  4. Pat LaFontaine (Buffalo Sabres) $4.6 million
  5. Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche) $4.567 million

1997–98 season

  1. Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) $16.45 million[1]
  2. Chris Gratton (Philadelphia Flyers) $10.15 million[1]
  3. Wayne Gretzky (New York Rangers) $6.25 million
  4. Mark Messier (New York Rangers) $6 million
  5. Pavel Bure (Vancouver Canucks) $5.5 million

1998–99 season

  1. Sergei Fedorov (Detroit Red Wings) $14.5 million
  2. Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $8.25 million
  3. Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) $8 million

Dominik Hasek (Buffalo Sabres) $8 million

  2. Mats Sundin (Toronto Maple Leafs) $6.347 million

1999–00 season

  1. Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins) $11.7 million
  2. Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $11 million
  3. Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) $9 million
  4. Theoren Fleury (New York Rangers) $8.5 million

Eric Lindros (Philadelphia Flyers) $8.5 million

2000–01 season

  1. Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) $10 million

Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $10 million

  2. Jaromir Jagr (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9.842708 million
  3. Pavel Bure (Florida Panthers) $9 million
  4. Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $7.3 million

2001–02 season

  1. Jaromir Jagr (Washington Capitals) $11 million
  2. Pavel Bure (Florida Panthers/New York Rangers) $10 million

Paul Kariya (Anaheim Ducks) $10 million

  2. Joe Sakic (Colorado Avalanche) $9.832727 million
  3. Chris Pronger (St. Louis Blues) $9.5 million

Teemu Selanne (San Jose Sharks) $9.5 million

2002–03 season

  1. Jaromir Jagr (Washington Capitals) $11.48 million
  2. Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $11 million
  3. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $10.5 million
  4. Pavel Bure (New York Rangers) $10 million

Paul Kariya (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) $10 million

2003–04 season

  1. Peter Forsberg (Colorado Avalanche) $11 million

Jaromir Jagr (Washington Capitals) $11 million

  2. Sergei Fedorov (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim) $10 million

Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $10 million

Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $10 million

2004–05 season

Season cancelled (see 2004–05 NHL lockout).

2005–06 season

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

  1. Jaromir Jagr (New York Rangers) $8.36 million[2]
  2. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $7.6 million

Keith Tkachuk (St. Louis Blues) $7.6 million

Alexei Yashin (New York Islanders) $7.6 million

  2. Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) $7 million

2006–07 season

The team salary cap was $44 million. No player could earn more than $8.8 million.

  1. Jaromir Jagr (New York Rangers) $8.36 million
  2. Brad Richards (Tampa Bay Lightning) $7.8 million
  3. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings) $7.6 million

Mats Sundin (Toronto Maple Leafs) $7.6 million

Alexei Yashin (New York Islanders) $7.6 million

2007–08 season

The team salary cap was $50.3 million. No player could earn more than $10.06 million.

  1. Daniel Briere (Philadelphia Flyers) $10 million

Scott Gomez (New York Rangers) $10 million

Thomas Vanek (Buffalo Sabres) $10 million

  2. Jaromir Jagr (New York Rangers) $8.36 million
  3. Kimmo Timonen (Philadelphia Flyers) $8 million

2008–09 season

The team salary cap was $56.7 million. No player could earn more than $11.34 million.

  1. Dany Heatley (Ottawa Senators) $10 million
  2. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) $9 million

  2. Mats Sundin (Vancouver Canucks) $8.6 million
  3. Miikka Kiprusoff (Calgary Flames) $8.5 million

2009–10 season

The team salary cap was $56.8 million. No player could earn more than $11.36 million.

  1. Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) $10 million
  2. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) $9 million

  2. Chris Drury (New York Rangers) $8.05 million

2010–11 season

The team salary cap was $59.4 million. No player could earn more than $11.88 million.

  1. Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) $10 million

Roberto Luongo (Vancouver Canucks) $10 million

  1. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Evgeni Malkin (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) $9 million

2011–12 season

The team salary cap was $64.3 million. No player could earn more than $12.86 million.

  1. Brad Richards (New York Rangers) $12 million
  2. Ilya Bryzgalov (Philadelphia Flyers) $10 million

Christian Ehrhoff (Buffalo Sabres) $10 million

Vincent Lecavalier (Tampa Bay Lightning) $10 million

  1. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $9 million

2012–13 season

The team salary cap was $70.2 million. No player could earn more than $14.04 million.

  1. Shea Weber (Nashville Predators) $14 million
  2. Tyler Myers (Buffalo Sabres) $12 million

Zach Parise (Minnesota Wild) $12 million

Brad Richards (New York Rangers) $12 million

Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild) $12 million

2013–14 season

The team salary cap was $64.3 million. No player could earn more than $12.86 million.

  1. Shea Weber (Nashville Predators) $14 million
  2. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $12 million

Zach Parise (Minnesota Wild) $12 million

Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild) $12 million

  1. Eric Staal (Carolina Hurricanes) $9.25 million

2014–15 season

The team salary cap was $69 million. No player could earn more than $13.8 million.

  1. Shea Weber (Nashville Predators) $14 million
  2. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $12 million
  3. Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) $11 million

Zach Parise (Minnesota Wild) $11 million

Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild) $11 million

2015–16 season

The team salary cap was $71.4 million. No player could earn more than $14.28 million.

  1. Shea Weber (Nashville Predators) $14 million
  2. Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) $13.8 million

Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks) $13.8 million

  1. Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) $12 million
  2. Phil Kessel (Pittsburgh Penguins) $10 million

2016–17 season

The team salary cap was $73 million. No player could earn more than $14.6 million.

  1. Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings) $14 million
  2. Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) $13.8 million

Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks) $13.8 million

  1. Shea Weber (Montreal Canadiens) $12 million
  2. Ryan O'Reilly (Buffalo Sabres) $11 million

2017–18 season

The team salary cap was $75 million. No player could earn more than $15 million.

  1. Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) $13.8 million

Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks) $13.8 million

  1. Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars) $13 million

Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles Kings) $13 million

  1. Shea Weber (Montreal Canadiens) $12 million

2018–19 season

The team salary cap was $79.5 million. No player could earn more than $15.9 million.

  1. John Tavares (Toronto Maple Leafs) $15.9 million
  2. Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) $15 million

Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) $15 million

  1. Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars) $13 million
  2. John Carlson (Washington Capitals) $12 million

2019–20 season

The team salary cap was $81.5 million. No player could earn more than $16.3 million.

  1. Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs) $16 million
  2. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) $15.9 million

John Tavares (Toronto Maple Leafs) $15.9 million

  1. Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) $15 million

Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) $15 million

2020–21 season

The team salary cap was $81.5 million. No player could earn more than $16.3 million.

  1. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs $15.9 million
  2. Mitch Marner (Toronto Maple Leafs) $15 million
  3. Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) $14 million
  4. Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) $13 million
  5. Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers) $12 million

2021–22 season

The team salary cap was $81.5 million. No player could earn more than $16.3 million.

  1. Erik Karlsson (San Jose Sharks) $14.5 million
  2. Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) $13 million

Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) $13 million

Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens) $13 million

Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars) $13 million

2022–23 season

The team salary cap was $82.5 million. No player could earn more than $16.5 million.

  1. Tyler Seguin (Dallas Stars) $13 million
  2. Artemi Panarin (New York Rangers) $12.5 million
  3. Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers) $12 million

Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers) $12 million

Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers) $12 million

2023–24 season

The team salary cap was $83.5 million. No player could earn more than $16.7 million.

  1. Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) $16.5 million
  2. David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins) $13 million
  3. Dougie Hamilton (New Jersey Devils) $12.6 million
  4. Seth Jones (Chicago Blackhawks) $12.5 million

Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) $12.5 million

2024–25 season

The team salary cap is $88 million. No player can earn more than $17.6 million.

  1. Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) $16.7 million
  2. Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) $16.5 million
  3. Elias Pettersson (Vancouver Canucks) $14.5 million
  4. William Nylander (Toronto Maple Leafs) $13.5 million
  5. Jake Guentzel (Tampa Bay Lightning) $13.26 million

Sample salaries from earlier seasons

Salary figures prior to the 1989–90 season are not readily available. The following table presents a sample of salaries from various seasons; the players listed were not necessarily the highest paid that year.

SeasonPlayer nameSalary[3]
CAN $1,300
Newsy Lalonde CAN $2,000
CAN $3,500
CAN $3,500
Ronnie Rowe† CAN $3,000
CAN $21,000
Jean Beliveau CAN $21,000
Jean Beliveau CAN $21,000
Jean Beliveau CAN $21,000
Jean Beliveau CAN $21,000
CAN $25,000
1959–60 CAN $25,000
CAN $25,000
(NHL minimum salary) CAN $7,000
1963–64 US $54,990
CAN $28,000
US $35,000
Bobby Orr US $35,000
1967–68 US $10,000
Derek Sanderson US $13,000
CAN $80,000
Bobby Hull†† US $1,000,000
1977–78 US $1,000,000
1977–78 Derek Sanderson US $1,000,000
US $65,000

† Ronnie Rowe was offered a rookie contract of $2,900 plus $100 as a signing bonus. The contract was declined, and Rowe stayed in juniors to play with the OHA's Toronto Marlboros[4]

†† Bobby Hull was playing the World Hockey Association at this time, a short-lived rival to the NHL.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. The given salary includes a signing bonus.
  2. $7.8 million + $0.56 million in arrears from the Washington Capitals.
  3. http://www.hockeyzoneplus.com/$prehi_e.htm Hockey Zone Plus: Historic Salaries
  4. https://www.ebay.com/itm/GENUINE-1942-43-RONALD-RON-ROWE-TORONTO-MAPLE-LEAFS-NHL-PLAYER-CONTRACT-UNSIGNED/133395915579?hash=item1f0f04233b:g:lKoAAOSwSvNepZgp:sc:USPSFirstClass!15905!US!-1 eBay.com: Ronnie Rowe Genuine 1942-43 contract

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