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Salary of a Hockey Player

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1983 NHL Draft Pick. Hockey Draft Central. 23 May. 2005. "Contract signed with Ottawa on July 6, 2004. (Two years, $5 million incentives, including club option for 2005-06)" $2,500,000/year
Hockey CBA. 04 May. 2005. Wikibooks. 22 May. 2005. "A minimum player salary for first year players of $125,000 was set in 1994 and increased to $185,000 by the last year of the agreement. The maximum salary limit increased from $850,000 to $1,295,000 over the same period for players entering their first year in the league." $185,000-$1,295,000/year
Hockey Salaries Database. 22 Jan. 2004. USA Today.
Player Total Salary Position
Bure, Pavel $10,000,000 RW
Lundmark, Jamie $1,025,000 C
$1,025,000-$10,000,000/year
Bargaining the future Part 2: The NHLPA. Ishkur. 22 May. 2005. "In 1946… All players initially paid $900 into the plan (which was huge, considering the average salary was between $3,500 and $5,000), and the owners agreed to pay $600 per player." $3,500-$5,000/year
NHL Hockey Player Salaries. Sports Fans of America Association. 22 May. 2005.
NHL Salary Growth
Year Avg. Salary % Change # of Millionaires % Change
1999 $1,194,206 3.6% 282 17%
1998 $1,152,536 7.3% 241 12.6%
1997 $1,073,670 19.3% 214 21.6%
1996 $900,147 19.0% 176 24.8%
1995 $756,648 3.2% 141 N/A
1994 $733,000 28.1% N/A N/A
1993 $572,000 N/A 69 N/A
$572,000-$1,194,206/year

Hockey is a very popular sport that is played in Canada, the United States, Russia and Europe. It is a game played on ice where each team tries to score a puck into an opponent's net, that is guarded by a goalie. Although a hockey game often turns ugly into a WWF math, nothing beats the adrenaline rush when a hockey player goes on a fast break and maneuvers his path in traffic to score a goal past the goalie. So have you ever wondered how much a hockey player makes? Well, enough to go to the dentist multiple times a year to fix up the battle wounds that occur on the ice field.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is the home to professional North American hockey, where hundreds of talented and dynamic hockey players become millionaires. According to Wikibooks.org, in 1994 alone, a rookie made a minimum of $125,000 while the maximum was $1.295 million. As for superstars, with superb offensive skills and abilities to mesmerize the crowds like Pavel Bure, it's the best job to have. He earns $10 million a year and gets to have fun everyday on the ice. How life is so unfair, huh?

Ever imagined how much the average hockey player made back in the day? Well, in 1946, a hockey player only made between $3,500-$5,000. That is how far the sport has grown through the years. In 1999 alone, there were 282 millionaires, with the average salary for a hockey player of approximately $1.2 million.

Hockey is not just an American sport but also a sport played worldwide in many different countries. It is also an Olympic sport, where countries compete in classic duels. The most memorable one in American history is the 1980 Olympics, where the underdog Americans defeated their powerhouse Soviet opponents in a grueling match-up, that is forever remembered in the world history of hockey. So if you're a good skater on ice, professional hockey might not be a bad option, considering you can become an instant millionaire, if you do make it to the NHL.

Kevin Yam -- 2005