How much money do you make playing NHL hockey?

Answer 1

The league average for a player nowadays is approximately $2 million US per year. Entry-level players, that is players that are new to the league, are limited by the league to sign contracts under $1 million per year for their first contract.

The top paid player for 2008-09 was Dany Heatley who received $10 million in the first year of a five-year contract. The contract was 'front-loaded', meaning he received the highest yearly amount in the first year and his salary goes down year-by-year.

Each team is limited by a 'salary cap' set by the NHL, which sets a maximum that a team can pay its NHL roster of players. In 2008-09 this was $56 million US. Players who are injured or on the minor league 'farm' team are not counted towards this figure. The average time that a player is in the league is between five to ten years. There are over 600 players in the NHL.