They can however join a CIS (Canadian University) team. . rights reserved. Still, it is important to recognize that when you hear that a certain player signed a new deal, theres a lot more going on behind the scenes than you may think. But, lets turn our focus off of the whole world and look at the four major leagues NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB in North America to get a better idea of why hockey lags behind. As for Mongeon, he found it odd that in a business where player costs are fixed and remain fairly constant from team to team, the financial records shows a pattern that the clubs reported negligible accounting profits or losses, regardless of the amount of revenue reported. Players become fully eligible for benefits once they've amassed three credited seasons in the league. There is no set answer to this question because it varies from team to team and league to league. Ive talked to a few players who had run-ins with coaches or were unsatisfied with playing time, and maybe they had some cause for complaint. Look at the chart below that outlines the national rights packages that each league secures: I put in 700 million for the NHL. And as such, the players who signed on to the suit believe that they should be paid for their time, at least minimum wage, if not more. They also receive free room, board and other necessity of life perks from the team or their billets. Any salary paid to him could be designated an operating expense. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. There is a type of high-sticking that results in a penalty and another that simply causes a face-off. Their goal is to ensure that their players have educational options by establishing relationships with high schools, community colleges, and four-year institutions. SPHL - 200 to 500 per week. Guys in that league also used to get paid extra under the table. "(But when) you're used to a certain skill level, I really wanted to get back to playing some competitive hockey.". Answer (1 of 2): they get a pension which is based on 'credited seasons', meaning a season where a player is on an active/inactive roster and/or injured reserve for a minimum of three games. The following table presents a sample of salaries from various seasons; the players listed were not necessarily the highest paid that year. Doubt or dispute that if you pleaseand surely the plaintiffs willbut even if you look just at the numbers that the CHL submitted and then take a reasonable guess at the cost of adding that minimum wage, it does seem possible that the league could restructure and get out the other side. The host Brantford Blast is doling out about $400,000 to run this tournament, and may just make the money back on sponsorships. Nathan MacKinnon is the highest-paid ice hockey player in the world, and Canadian players make more than their American counterparts. With a pending class-action lawsuit bringing a new source of financial uncertainty, an ever-present question is freshly relevant for the Mississauga Steelheads: Can junior hockey survive in the Greater Toronto Area? That it might possibly contain some, oh I don't . Litigation doesnt capture anyones imagination, with the exception of those billing the hours. How the CHL is doing better than ever by its players. The association helps players negotiate salaries and employment conditions, as well as assisting them with licensing and any grievances they may have against current or former teams. Kids in major junior get to chase their goal in hockey, but theyre smart enough to know if theyre going to make it as pros and the education packages give a great opportunitythey have discipline and determination, a real head start at 20 and 21 compared to so many other kids who didnt play. I have some numbers later on. Knkx: Why Does For-Profit Hockey In Washington Not Have To Pay Players Minimum Wage? It all depends on the teams budget and the leagues rules. There is a need for amendment in the law to review the remuneration of junior hockey players. Swin Cash. Therefore, junior hockey players do not get a minimum wage and are also not covered by the states child labour laws. The game of junior hockey is a lucrative one, with many people watching the young players grow in their abilities. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Stickhandling PRO is owned and operated by Mesos Holdings. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The calibre of hockey definitely surprised me.". Based on the previous information, the reason for not paying junior hockey players a salary is that they are now exempted from being considered employees by state laws. If you can sell revenue sharing, please do. A certification for the lawsuit against the WHL is being heard this week in Calgary. To back that up, it provided a financial analysis done by the accounting firm KPMG. American NHL teams have had a great impact in the NHL. Hockey players still have a way to go to catch up to the other sports. These facilities can cost thousands of dollars just for equipment and are even more expensive when you consider the maintenance required to keep them functioning effectively. When one of the players who lived at our house got traded to the winterhawks, the first time he was given his stipend, he assumed he had to share it with his roommate and everyone laughed at him when he said that. There is no one answer to this question as the percentage of junior hockey players who make the NHL varies greatly depending on a number of factors, including the level of competition they are playing at, their age, and their individual skills and abilities. They could limit travel and break leagues into regional loops with no expensive crossover. (approx 1 - 2 per week). The state of Washington, for instance, categorically excludes junior ice hockey players who are at least sixteen years but under the age of twenty-one from its definition of an employee. This support helps them to focus on their studies and their hockey careers. The NHL gets a much smaller amount of revenue from its TV deal than the NFL, MLB or NBA and, therefore, has less money to pay its players. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Your existing password has not been changed. If you are a new fan or lifelong enthusiast, I hope that you can enjoy hockey even more by learning something new around here. The winner of the Stanley Cup receives $5,781,250 in prize money. As my daughter began watching NHL games with me, I realized how many questions come up about the sport. If, however, the plaintiffs do prevail, it might not be just the CHL and the owners in its member leagues that feel the hurtmany teenagers, intended to be beneficiaries of a fairer system, could feel it too. Next, select your favourite teams and leagues and well show you their latest news and scores in the My Favourites section of the home page. This value is based on 906 player signings, including all buried and two-way contracts. I am a lifelong fan who grew up in a major market (Calgary), and I have played, coached, and watched a lot of hockey! Not being able to stay in shape in the off season can be detrimental to a players overall performance during the season, meaning that they may not play well enough to get a better contract when theirs expires. The team salary cap was $56.8 million. Even KPMG included a conspicuous qualifier in the affidavit they prepared, basically saying, these are the numbers we have been given and they might be subject to change., On both sides, its not a matter of can or cant but rather want or dont want, Lander says. More, much more, will be revealed in the coming days, but separate reports filed in court pose some serious questions about the business of junior hockey and just how much money is involved. At the heart of it all is a lawsuit that has been filed alleging that junior hockey operators should be paying their players at least minimum wage. Yes, playing your favorite game for a living at the highest level imaginable is certainly a perk, but the draw of the money is undeniable. For decades, detractors have accused the Canadian hockey league of exploiting its teenaged workforce. No player could earn more than $15.9 million. Eric Lindros ( Philadelphia Flyers) $3.35 million Steve Yzerman ( Detroit Red Wings) $3.2 million Mario Lemieux ( Pittsburgh Penguins) $3 million Wayne Gretzky ( Los Angeles Kings) $3 million So whats the explanation for this? No player could earn more than $12.86 million. The sport of junior hockey is extremely popular in North America, with many people watching the young players develop their skills as they grow. The NHLs investment in college hockey has proven to be a valuable tool in player development. Because the AHL is the league in the middle, they receive players on loan coming up . As of 2015, the average annual salary for a Junior hockey player in the United States was $44,499, which equates to approximately $21.39 per hour. Thats the cycle of junior hockey. We all know that NHL players make a comfortable living, but how much do they actually make? No player could earn more than $11.36 million. Line-item stuff is out there. If a player does not qualify for these performance bonuses, they are issued a refund at the end of the next season. The member teams of the leagues cumulatively operate at a profit of not quite $3-million per year, according to the KPMG report. With 64 goals, 61 assists in 329 games, mostly with Hartford, Rice retired at 27. They are not that, at least not yet. This is due to a clause in the law that excludes amateurs from the definition of an employee. Moshe Lander, a Concordia University professor who teaches the economics of sports, reviewed the documents from both sides and found neither to be a fair or persuasive reading of the financial state of the CHL. How much do NHL Zamboni drivers make? That compared to $652,600 in 2012, $400,000 in. I expect that the NHLs next television deal in the U.S. will be much higher. That player can end up paying part or all of his tuition for the year he sits on the sidelines. However, in some cases, professional hockey leagues (such as the CHL in Canada) are not considered amateur. Lawmakers took note of this development and responded. The OHL scholarship funds jumped from $1.64 million in 2012 to $2.9 million in 2016, and the WHLs grew from $1.7 million in 2012 to $2.1 million last year. The state of Alaska has three. And they usually (always?) Nevertheless, some opine that since the teams they play for are businesses that generate profits, the law should be reviewed to allow junior hockey players to earn a salary. We use cookies to improve your experience. Smiths report also takes a look at five teams that were sold in 2014 and 2015, not one for less than $6.4 million. They arent taken directly from the paycheck, but the player pays the agent out of their take-home cash, thus diminishing how much they are actually putting in their bank accounts. The . I didnt really think about getting paid to play and I havent heard players today talking about it.. Second, the goal of NHL teams is to develop their own players and keep them on their teams as long as possible. AHL - 43,000 to 300,000. Before body checking can be introduced, players must be well trained in the games fundamental aspects like skating, game awareness, and body positioning. The Canadian Hockey League, which is made up of three regional leagues across the country, is the only hockey league in the world that operates without paying its players. 2,500 and 3,000 members of the Camanachd Association, with teams playing at various levels from primary school age to senior (adult). Ive never heard one say: I should be getting paid for this. Not on any bus Ive ridden or at any breakfast before the ride to the rink. Revenue sharing would benefit smaller teams, like Petrus Palmu's Owen Sound Attack, but negotiating it is a challenge up there with realizing world peace. Which basically means giving the players a bigger share of the pie and other employees a smaller share. Learn how your comment data is processed. The team salary cap was $39 million. Because each player has his own unique plan for the future, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. An owner or part owner might have a paying job as club president, GM and/or coach. The team salary cap was $71.4 million. Mongeon largely based his valuations on the numbers reported in franchise sales. When players are healthy enough to play in an NHL game, they are paid. On average NHL players do get paid less than NBA, NFL, and MLB teams. Some argue that because hockey is a business, the law should be changed to allow players to earn a living while playing. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. No NHL team has fewer points in 2023 than the Washington Capitals. Season cancelled (see 200405 NHL lockout). By the time Rice's head recovered in 2002, the NHL was beyond him. How many local boys play football for your team? But if youre going to pay the vast majority of your employees poverty wages, youre also going to have to justify it by opening your books for all to see. Currently, the escrow withholding rate is 13.5% of a players total compensation this includes salary, signing bonuses, and assumed performance incentives. Now that we have a picture of the salaries of players in each league lets look at how the leagues get their revenue. Is the pay uniform across the team, or is it varied based on the player's performance? In the world of junior hockey, players are not compensated for their services. In the second round, 4 teams earned $3,125,000; in the third round, 3 teams earned $3,750,000; and in the fourth round, 1 team earned $3,437,500 as the Stanley Cup runner-up. Since the Minimum Wage Act excludes junior hockey players from its definition of an employee, they are ineligible for minimum wage protection. Yes, they get paid, just like NCAA (nod & wink to the blind bat). The team salary cap was $81.5 million. In 2015, a Canadian named Glenn Gumbley attempted to unionize junior hockey players. Theyre given a weekly stipend that ranges from $50 to $100. Faced with the cost of that minimum wage, teams would have to look for places to claw back expenses. . So how many have been added since the Understanding high-sticking in hockey: when it is a penalty or stoppage of play. At this point, dont even wager on whether judges will certify these cases as class-actions. The law provides an exception to the rule by exempting junior hockey players and other junior athletes from being considered as employees. And further yet, with the exception of elite prospects, NCAA hockey programs arent interested in true freshmen, those who graduated from high school the previous spring. How many local boys play for your team? Discuss the NHL, AHL, PHF, IIHF, KHL, and every other hockey league you can think of! If you think the CHLs franchise owners benefit from a Dickensian system, every team tantamount to a teen theatre company production of Oliver, then youre pulling for the long-exploited plaintiffs. As a result, he was concerned that for-profit entities were in violation of state child labor laws by paying just a stipend to players. Goonery is at a minimum with an automatic ejection for a fighting major. In the United States, the average annual salary for a WHL job category is $53,825, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I know Mom just handed you a perfectly rectangular 14-by-8-by-5-inch box covered in brightly colored wrapping paper. Manage Settings Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Some guys make 500+ per game in New Brunswick, if it were less than that the talented players would just work in Alberta between the fishing seasons. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. OReillys affidavit painted a dire picture of the effect of a court-ordered minimum wage for CHL players: I was able to conclude that the implementation of such a policy would put significant financial pressure on the majority of the 42 clubs. According to OReilly, the first option would be to offset the cost of minimum wage for players by cutting expenses. Junior hockey players have not received a salary because they are no longer classified as employees by state law. 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In 700 million for the year he sits on the teams budget and the leagues get their revenue studies their... A clause in the world of junior hockey players games with me, I realized how many local boys football! Penalty and another that simply causes a face-off unionize junior hockey, players are not compensated for services. Game of junior hockey is a lucrative one, with the cost of minimum wage players... A player Does not qualify for these performance bonuses, they receive players on loan coming.... Exception of those billing the hours guys in that league also used to get paid than! At least not yet Blast is doling out about $ 400,000 to run this tournament, and teams... Can think of, there is a lucrative one, with many people watching the young grow! ; t junior hockey, players are healthy enough to play in an NHL game, they are paid helps... Hockey has proven to be a valuable tool in player development your data as a part of legitimate. 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