@forbes

Auston Matthews may be the NHL’s best sniper, leading the league in goals last season, but this year’s biggest score belongs to Connor McDavid. The Edmonton Oilers’ 24-year-old captain reclaims the top spot on Forbes’ list of the NHL’s highest-paid players with $16.4 million for the 2021-22 season. That includes a league-high salary and bonus package of $12.4 million plus another $4 million in annual off-ice income from endorsements, appearances, memorabilia and licensing deals. Combined, the NHL’s ten highest-paid players are set to collect $117 million, a pittance compared with the top-ten totals in the NBA ($714 million), the NFL ($418 million) and even Major League Baseball ($357 million). Hockey’s relatively meager revenue is projected to surpass $5 billion this season, a third of what the NFL made in its last pre-pandemic season, in 2019. Already paid much less than the stars of the NFL, the NBA and even MLB, the top NHL hockey players have seen their annual earnings fall 27% since 2019. Swipe through to see the top ten and read more via the link in our bio.

October 28, 2021