New information has some wondering why NHL players aren't making more money

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TJ Tucker
July 16, 2024 (6:37 PM)

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A chart showing revenues made by the big sports leagues in North America raises questions over why NHL players' salaries are so low compared to others

Most hockey fans know that, as far as popularity goes, the NHL is lagging behind other major sports leagues in North America. New revenue figures from the four biggest leagues has some wondering why the discrepancy in pay is still so large, though.

The figures released today don't contain a lot of surprises. The National Football League (NFL) remains at the top of the big four, with $18.7 billion in revenue in 2023. Major League Baseball (MLB) is next with $10.9 billion, tied with the National Basketball Association in revenue for 2023. The NHL still lags behind the other three. However, with $6.8 billion in revenue last year, the gap appears to be closing.

Now, let's take a look at players' salaries as opposed to the revenue each league makes. The NHL is making about 62.3 percent of the revenue of both the MLB and NBA. The highest amount of money a player received in the 2023-24 season was Nathan MacKinnon at $12.6 million, followed by Connor McDavid at $12.5 million. Last season, Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors made $51.9 million, while Shohei Ohtani of the LA Dodgers received $70 million. For a league making more than 60 percent of the revenue of the MLB and NBA, the contracts show a massive difference.

"Amazing how the NHL has suppressed player salaries given the high revenues."

As was pointed out by others, revenue doesn't equal profit. It should also be noted that the other three leagues make more from their national TV/media deals, which leads to increased money for players. Still, the discrepancy remains huge for NHL players when it comes to their contracts, despite the league's massive growth over the past 20 years. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players expires in September of 2026. It will be interesting to see if this is an issue for NHL players when it comes time to negotiate.