When a hockey player wins the Stanley Cup and gets to hoist the greatest trophy in all of sports, their mind is flooded with so many thoughts. Memories of skating on frozen ponds when they were kids. Dreams they had to win it all when they were growing up. The countless number of times their parents schlepped them to the rink at all hours. All of their family, coaches and teammates that believed in them and encouraged them.
It’s euphoria. A complete rush of emotions. And when the dust settles, it’s also an extra paycheck.
NHL Playoff Pay
Come the playoffs, players are no longer paid their salaries even though contracts are paid from July 1 to June 30.
NHL players do not get paid a separate salary for playing in the postseason. League rules actually prohibit NHL teams from paying their players bonuses for making the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup. Only players on entry-level contracts and those over the age of 35 are permitted to have bonuses for playoff performances.
That said, players still receive compensation for a playoff appearance. The NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) agree to set aside a playoff bonus pool to be distributed to each playoff team based on how far they advance. It’s referred to in Article 28 of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as the Player Fund.
The Pot of Playoff Money
The size of the playoff prize pool generally increases every third season. In 2012-13 and 2013-14, the playoff bonus pool was $13 million, or twice the amount set aside in the earlier CBA. Here’s how the pool was divided in 2013:
The Presidents’ Trophy, awarded to the club that accumulates the most points in the standings during the league’s 82-game regular season, gets a small piece of the pie.
Presidents’ Trophy winner — $500,000
First round losers — $2 million ($250,000 each to eight teams)
Second round losers — $2 million ($500,000 each to four teams)
Third round losers — $2.5 million ($1.25 million each to two teams)
Stanley Cup Finalist — $2.25 million
Stanley Cup Champion — $3.75 million
Rising Revenue
As league revenues have increased, the bonus pool has also risen. Here’s how the playoff prize pool has risen over the last decade from $13 million in 2012-13 to $16 million in 2018-19. The most CBA extension, which went into effect for the 2020-21 season has allotted the following amounts for the Playoff Fund:
- 2020-21: $20 million
- 2021-22: $20 million
- 2022-23: $21 million
- 2023-24: $22 million
- 2024-25: $23 million
- 2025-26: $24 million
Divvying up the Dollars
The NHLPA, with league approval, determines how the pool is distributed among the playoff-participating teams each year.
Each team votes on the number of shares it should give out. Players who dress for just a few playoff games typically don’t receive a full share, but regulars basically all receive an equal amount. In other words, each player doesn’t necessarily receive an equal share of the pool allocated to their respective team. Often there are some adjustments made based on roster size, healthy scratches, and other unique situations.
- In 2023, the eight playoff teams that lost in the first round received roughly $2 million ($250,000 to each team). With each team having a roster of 23 players, each player received approximately $11,000.
- The four playoff teams that lost in the second round also received $2 million ($500,000 to each team); each of the 23 players received approximately $22,000.
- The two teams that lost in the third round each received $1.25 million; each of the 23 players received approximately $54,000.
- The Stanley Cup Final losers receive $2.25 million; each of the 23 players received approximately $98,000.
- The Stanley Cup Champions receive $3.75 million; each of the 23 players received approximately $163,000.
Comparing Championship Prize Money with other Leagues
Of the major sports – baseball, football, basketball and hockey – NHL Champions earn the smallest payout.
Major League Baseball – In 2023, the 12 postseason teams earned a record $107.8 million in bonuses. The Players’ Pool changes each year based on ticket sales: It’s made up of 60% of the gate receipts from the guaranteed playoff games.
Each share for the 2023 World Series Champions Texas Rangers received $506,263.
National Football League – In addition to bringing home the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy, the players from the 2023 Kansas City Chiefs each earned a six-figure bonus check: $164,000 just for winning the final game. That’s according to the 2020 collective bargaining agreement the NFL signed with the NFL Players’ Association, which will be in effect until the 2030 season. All told, they made an additional $338,000 each for their playoff run. The San Francisco 49ers, the Super Bowl losers, took home $212,500 to go with a lot of regret.
National Basketball Association – NBA prize money is put into a pool, and every team receives a part of it based on their performance. Last year, the total money in the pot was nearly $27 million. Every team participating gets a share from it as a payout and the bonus is divided equally among all team members.
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in 2023. As per the calculations, the team’s money was roughly $7.8 million. That money is then split unequally among the players.
Chump Change for Champs
Stanley Cup Champions are winners on many levels. Besides getting to hoist the Cup for a victory lap and getting a bling’d out Stanley Cup Champion ring, they often parlay their playoff performances into more lucrative contracts.
So though they may not get a bonus directly, they can have additional leverage for a higher contract down the road. Star players from Cup-winning teams also stand to benefit financially even more after the victory though endorsements.
For superstars, the amount of playoff prize money they earn is relatively minimal when compared to their multi-million dollar salaries. But for youngsters or those with value contracts, the playoff payout can be a sizable chunk of their total wages.
Ask any player and they’ll tell you money isn’t the reason they play. Their ultimate goal is to have their name engraved on the Stanley Cup and to earn a Stanley Cup ring. And that’s priceless.