With the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs underway, which will close out the 2024/25 season, talks of salaries and new contract signings are next to follow.
According to Forbes, the highest earning player in the game right now is Auston Matthews, who is reportedly making more than $20m for this season for both his performance with Toronto Maple Leafs and off-ice sponsorship deals. Following behind is Nathan MacKinnon who signed an eight-year $100.8m deal with Colorado Avalanche in 2022.
Insider ranks the richest National Hockey League (NHL) players of all time in descending order, based on figures published by Forbes and Celebrity Net Worth.
13. Joe Thornton – $60m
Starting off the hockey rich list is former player Joe Thornton who played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers during his career, which lasted until 2021.
He reportedly earned $111m in salary and now has an estimated net worth of $60m.
12. Joe Sakic – $60m
An ice hockey legend, Joe Sakic, played with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise for his entire 21 year career with the NHL.
He retired in 2009 and has a reported net worth of $60m.
11. Jarome Iginla – $60m
Canadian former winger Jarome Iginla played more than 1,500 games for Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings.
He retired in 2017 and has a reported net worth of $60m.
10. Ilya Kovalchuk – $60m
Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk is a Russian retired winger, who played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals.
His career began in 1999 and ended in 2021 and he has an estimated fortune of $60m.
9. Evgeni Malkin – $60m
Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nicknamed “Geno”, the player has an estimated net worth of $60m.
8. Mark Messier – $65m
Mark Messier’s ice hockey career lasted 25 seasons where he played with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks.
The six-time Stanley Cup champion has a reported net worth of $65m.
7. Chris Pronger – $65m
Chris Pronger, a former defenceman and 2015 inductee to the Hall of Fame has an estimated net worth of $65m.
He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player for the 1999–2000 season. He later was an adviser to the Florida Panthers.
6. Pavel Bure – $70m
The Russian retired hockey player Pavel Bure has a reported net worth of $70m.
He initially played for the Central Red Army before being drafted into the NHL in 1989. Dubbed “The Russian Rocket”, Bure has played for the Vancouver Canucks, The New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers throughout his career.
5. Sidney Crosby – $75m
Nicknamed “Sid the Kid”, Sidney Crosby is the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who he has been with since 2005. In 2012, the Penguins offered him a 12-year deal worth $104.4m, which works out to $8.7m a year.
In 2021, Sidney was the highest paid hockey player of all time with $129m in career earnings. In 2024, the Penguins offered him a two-year extension worth $17.4m.
He has worked with brands like Reebok, Adidas, Gatorade, Tim Hortons and Kellogg’s.
He has a net worth of $75m.
4. Chris Chelios – $80m
He was one of the longest-tenured players in the NHL with a career spanning from 1984 to 2010. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, winning one with the Montreal Canadiens and two with the Detroit Red Wings.
He has a reported net worth of $80m.
3. Alexander Ovechkin – $80m
Russian left winger Alexander Ovechkin is the captain of the Washington Capitals, a position that Forbes reports earns him $16m a year.
Off the ice, Ovechkin earns $5m in sponsorship deals with Nike, Hublot and Papa John’s.
He also has an estimated net worth of $80m.
2. Wayne Gretzky – $250m
Canada’s Wayne Gretzky is widely regarded as the greatest ice hockey player of all time. In his 20-year NHL career between 1979 and 1999 the hockey legend played for four teams and led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cups.
After playing professionally for over two decades, Gretzky retired in 1999 with more than 60 NHL records under his belt. His business endeavors include sports team ownership, real estate investments, a winery and distillery.
He has a reported net worth of $250m.
1. Mario Lemieux – $300m
Known as “Le Magnifique” and “Super Mario”, Lemieux is one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Over the course of his 17-season career, he won the Stanley Cup twice.
In 1999 he assumed ownership of The Pittsburgh Penguins after the previous ownership group filed for bankruptcy in November 1998. The former player increased his stake in the team to 40 per cent by the time it was acquired by Fenway Sports in 2021 in a deal that was reportedly valued at $900m. He still remains a minority owner in the franchise.
He has a reported net worth of $300m.
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