How much do NHL players make compared to other pro athletes?
It's insane to think about what some professional athletes get paid for doing what they love.
Some may think a $9 million contract in the NHL is a lot, but in reality, it's peanuts to other sports. Like the NHL's highest-paid player, for example, Connor McDavid.
McDavid makes $12.5 million per season, which equals to be over $152,000 per game (82 games). Breaking it down even further, that's around $6,000 per shift for the Edmonton Oilers captain.
For comparison...
Soccer superstar Lion Messi would laugh at McDavid's contract, as he's earning nearly triple per year at $34 million a season in 44 less games played. Messi makes just under $1millon per game at $894,736. That equals up to over $20,000 each time he steps on the field and $10,000 per minute that goes by each game. Insane, right?
Surprisingly, hockey is one of the lowest-paying sports but has maybe the most skilled athletes in the world.
Forbes just did a "Top-paid Athletes" statistic chart over the last 12 months:
Lionel Messi - $130 million (Soccer)LeBron James - $121.2 million (Basketball)Christiano Ronaldo - $115 million (Soccer)Neymar - $95 million (Soccer)Stephan Curry - $92.8 million (Basketball)Kevin Durant - $92.1 million (Basketball)Roger Federer - $90.7 million (Tennis)Canelo Alvarez - $90 million (Boxing)Tom Brady - $83.9 million (Football)Giannis Antetokounmpo - $80.9 million (Basketball)
Three of the top-five play professional soccer, while four of the top ten play in the NBA. Connor McDavid is arguably the most-skilled athlete in the world, as hockey is one of the hardest sports to play, but he doesn't even crack the top-100 paid.
NHL players in this story
Connor McDavid
