NHL league minimum salary for the 2022-23 season is $750,000 per annum. This is set to increase to $775,000 in the 2023-24 NHL season.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA) determines the minimum wages for hockey players. The CBA is negotiated every few years, and the minimum earnings is one of the revised items.
Last season, during 2021-22, the minimum amount of money NHL players could earn was $700,000. However, this season, there has been a 10% raise in the minimum pay.
In addition, certain new players in the NHL have secured impressive contracts worth $925,000, the highest paycheck they can receive as rookies.
Aside from their regular paycheck, most professional hockey players also receive signing bonuses, performance bonuses, and other perks as part of their overall benefits package.
NHL Minimum Salary By Year
National Hockey League minimum wages per year:
| Year | Minimum Salary Value |
| 2022-23 | $750,000 |
| 2021-22 | $700,000 |
| 2020-21 | $700,000 |
| 2019-20 | $700,000 |
| 2018-19 | $650,000 |
| 2017-18 | $650,000 |
| 2016-17 | $575,000 |
| 2015-16 | $575,000 |
| 2014-15 | $550,000 |
| 2013-14 | $550,000 |
As per the rules outlined in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreements, every team is required to pay their players a minimum salary of $750,000 for the 2022-23 season.
This means that no team is allowed to pay their players any amount lower than that specified amount. It was $50,000 raise from 2021-22 when the minimum cap for NHL players was set at $700,000.
The deal between the NHL and NHLPA regarding the salary cap was implemented from the 2005-06 season which also determined the maximum and minimum pay any team can offer their players.
The first minimum player wage introduced in 2005 was $450,000. Since then there has been a steady increment in the amount reaching $500,000 in 2010-11, $650,000 in 2017-18, $700,000 in 2019-20, and $750,000 in 2022-23.
In contrast to the NBA, the NHL does not have a system where player paychecks increase based on their years of experience. This implies that a player who has been in the league for a decade can be offered the same contract as a rookie, which is $750,000.
Some well-known players who are currently signed to minimum contracts in the league include Sam Gagner, Zach Parise, and Marc Staal.
Meanwhile, there is an expected increase of 3.33% in the lowest salary for the upcoming 2023-24 season. This projected increase would bring the figure to $775,000.
Besides, the players' wages cap also plays a vital role in determining the minimum wages. If the lowest paycheck in the NHL had been linked to 1.15% of the team's pay cap like in 2005, players earning the minimum pay would have increased by a lot in present days.
NHL Maximum Salary By Year
Maximum earnings an NHL player can make by year:
| Year | Maximum Salary Value |
| 2022-23 | $16.5 million |
| 2021-22 | $16.3 million |
| 2020-21 | $16.3 million |
| 2019-20 | $16.3 million |
| 2018-19 | $15.9 million |
| 2017-18 | $15 million |
| 2016-17 | $14.6 million |
| 2015-16 | $14.28 million |
| 2014-15 | $13.8 million |
| 2013-14 | $12.86 million |
Similar to the cap in paying minimum wages, NHL franchises are not allowed to pay their players more than the designated maximum value.
In the 2022-23 season, there is a maximum limit on player earnings, and no player can make more than $16.5 million.
Tyler Seguin, who plays as a center and alternate captain for the Dallas Stars, is the highest earner this season. His contract with the Stars guarantees him an enormous sum of $13 million this year.
NHL clubs' salary cap for the 2022-23 campaign is set at 82.5 million USD, so teams have to be extra careful while allocating stipends for their athletes.
Flordia Panthers have two of the top 5 highest paid players, Sergei Bobrovsky and Aleksander Barkov, each earning an astounding $12 million annually.
Over the past decade, the maximum earnings a player could receive from their contracts have generally been increasing. However, there was a decrease in the top pay value during the 2013-2014 season compared to the season before.
In addition, Mitch Marner holds the record for being the highest-paid player in NHL history. In the 2019-20 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs paid him a staggering $16 million, slightly lower than the cap set at $16.3 million during that time.
Average NHL Salary For 2023 Season
The average NHL salary in 2023 is USD 3.19 million. The amount of money NHL players earn has been steadily rising in recent years.
This is because more people are becoming fans of the sport, leading to higher demand for talented players. Back in the 2013-14 season, the average pay for NHL players was $2.5 million. Over the past nine years, that average has increased by more than $600,000.
The average annual value (AAV) of player contracts is calculated based on player signings, which include various types of contracts, such as buried and two-way contracts.
The player who receives the highest salary is Connor McDavid, earning USD 12,500,000. On the other hand, 82 players make the league minimum wage of USD 750,000.
Furthermore, out of the total number of players, 544, which accounts for 70.3%, earn $1,000,000 USD or higher, and 329 players, equivalent to 42.6%, receive salaries exceeding the league average.
- 2022 - $3,100,000
- 2021 - $3,100,000
- 2020 - $2,900,000
- 2019 - $2,690,000
- 2018 - $2,875,000
Who Is The Highest Paid NHL Player 2023?
Connor McDavid is the highest paid NHL player in 2023, with an average annual salary of $12.5 million.
Unsurprisingly, the top player in the NHL gets the highest paycheck. The Edmonton Oilers secured McDavid by signing him to an eight-year contract worth $100 million following the 2016-17 season.
The Oilers recruited McDavid into their team from the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. His first agreement with the franchise was a three-year deal worth $11.3 million inked in July 2015.
However, a year into his contract, Oilers did not want to risk losing him and hence offered him a lucrative renewal deal of $100 million to keep him in the club for eight years.
Who Is The Lowest Paid NHL Player?
The lowest paid NHL player is Taylor Raddysh from Chicago Blackhawks, per Spotrac data. Taylor's average annual earnings this season is $758,333.
He is tied with another Blackhawks player Boris Katchouk for the minimum wage. 24-year-old Katchouk plays as a left-wing for the club.
Among the players receiving the lowest salary allowed by the league, this season are:
- Darren Raddysh - $762,500
- Haydn Fleury - $762,500
- Markus Niemelainen - $762,500
