Thursday, October 8, 2026
  • -
    days
  • -
    hours
  • -
    minutes
  • -
    seconds

NHL Players’ Earnings Remain Flat, Trail Other Pro Leagues

  • Connor McDavid topped the NHL’s highest-paid list.
  • The league’s spending cap hit a record $82.5 million for the 2022-23 season.
NHL
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Want more from Front Office Sports
in your search results?

Add Front Office Sports on Google

The top 10 highest-paid NHL players are set to make $117.7 million combined this season — only a small increase from last year’s $117.2 million.

For the fourth time in five years, the Edmonton Oilers’ 25-year-old captain Connor McDavid is the NHL’s top earner, according to Forbes’ Highest-Paid NHL Players list, set to make $15.3 million before taxes and agents’ fees. 

McDavid is followed by the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin ($14 million), the Dallas Stars’ Tyler Seguin ($11.9 million), and the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin ($11.7 million), with the Florida Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews tied for fifth ($11 million).

The combined earnings of the top 10 are barely up from the 2013-14 list, when the top 10 brought in $116.3 million.

  • Since then, the NFL’s top 10 saw their earnings jump 46% to $489.1 million.
  • MLB’s increased 50%.

Ice Increase

The NHL players’ earnings aren’t jumping like other sports, but recent indications favor an impending spike.

In September, Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon became the highest-paid player in league history with an eight-year, $100.8 million deal.

The league’s salary cap, which hit a record $82.5 million for the 2022-23 season, reportedly could rise around $10 million over the next three years. The cap froze at $81.5 million for the three pandemic-affected seasons.

In June, commissioner Gary Bettman said the league recorded $5.2 billion in revenue over the course of the season.

Download the FOS App

The business of sports, in your pocket.

QR code to download the app

Scan the QR code to get the app now.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Jul 24, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; An official MLB baseball with a Toronto Blue Jays logo sits on the grass before a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

MLB Owners Propose 154-Game Season, Expanded Playoffs

The proposal also includes a weekly off day.
Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco v RC Strasbourg - Stade Louis II, Monaco, - April 19, 2025 TV pundit holds a DAZN microphone before the match

DAZN Grows Sports Footprint as It Acquires Local Rights

The streamer has quickly amassed a large collection of team rights.
Sep 27, 2026; Rio De Janeiro, BRA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) A view of the NFL logo and the Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys during the game at Maracana Stadium.

NFL Urges Supreme Court to Hear Prediction-Markets Case

“It is critical for the Court to act as soon as possible,” a league source says.

Titans Fire Three Business Execs Amid Another Ugly Start

The moves are just the latest high-level exits and shifts in recent years. 
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

10/8/26 – Rahm Rejects LIV, Trump’s Stormy Georgia-Alabama Visit, Super Bowl on Disney+

0:00

Featured Today

Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer waits to run onto the field prior to the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Who Is Alabama Football in Year 3 Under Kalen DeBoer?

The No. 6 Crimson Tide host No. 2 Georgia on Saturday.
Cubs behind the scenes
October 6, 2026

Hollywood and TikTok: Sports Media’s New ‘Blueprint’

Teams and leagues are pouring money into the quest for fans.
October 2, 2026

How the Baseball Cap Became a ‘Behemoth’

The hat has become essential for athletes, fans, and the sports-agnostic.
Morishita-Sato-homerun-celebration-at-Meiji-Jingu-Baseball-Staidum-2025
September 28, 2026

Japanese Baseball Is Fighting Back Against MLB Talent Drain

Nippon Professional Baseball is reimagining how to be a global juggernaut.
Aug 9, 2026; Bedminster, New Jersey, USA; President Donald Trump walks out of the clubhouse during the final round of the LIV Golf New York tournament at Trump National Bedminster.
September 25, 2026

Trump’s Year of Sports Gets Busier With CFB, Presidents Cup

The impact of Trump’s attendance varies across each sporting event.

Caitlin Clark Wants Mitchell Back With Fever Despite Fan Comments

Mitchell said she has yet to make a decision on her future.
Aug 23, 2026; Westfield, Indiana, USA; Jon Rahm tees off on hole 18 during the final round of the LIV Golf Indianapolis golf tournament at The Club at Chatham Hills.
October 7, 2026

Jon Rahm Will Not Participate in LIV 2.0

Rahm was LIV’s biggest star besides Bryson DeChambeau.
October 7, 2026

Jimmy Rollins: MLB Analytics Gurus Undervalue Team Chemistry

“I went to the college of MLB. Where’d you go?”
Sponsored

Beyond the Scorecard: How Dow Is Putting Purpose at the Center of Women’s Golf

Discover how Dow and the LPGA are building a partnership with lasting impact.
October 7, 2026

Coco Gauff Says Racist Abuse Has Been ‘Draining’ at China Open

Gauff pulled out of the Wuhan Open after the match.
Jun 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Justin Martinez (63) throws against the Seattle Mariners in the ninth inning at Chase Field.
October 7, 2026

Another Startup Is Trying to Sell Shares in Athletes’ Future Earnings

“We are basically building a mini Robinhood,” Agentiq’s cofounder tells FOS.
October 5, 2026

LeBron’s Fanatics Deal Includes Helicopter Use

The helicopter has repeatedly gone between NYC and Philly.
October 5, 2026

Alex Ovechkin Announces Retirement After 22 Seasons

The Capitals superstar said this season will be his last.