Salaries in the National Hockey League (NHL) are getting bigger once again, and their most highly-paid athletes are finally being rewarded for their hard work and talent.
After several seasons of slow salary cap growth, last year, 2025, marked the first time since 2019 that we are seeing meaningful salary increases at the top of our payroll structure.
The top 10 highest-paid players in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 2025 had collectively earned $167 million from salary, bonuses, endorsements and all other businesses they own, according to Forbes.
Top 10 Highest-Paid NHL Players
Let’s have a look at the top 10 highest-paid NHL players in 2025.
| Player | Total Earnings | Team | Position |
| Auston Matthews | $20.2 million | Toronto Maple Leafs | Center |
| Nathan MacKinnon | $19.1 million | Colorado Avalanche | Center |
| Leon Draisaitl | $19 million | Edmonton Oilers | Forward |
| Mitch Marner | $17 million | Vegas Golden Knights | Right Wing |
| Connor McDavid | $16.5 million | Edmonton Oilers | Center |
| Igor Shesterkin | $15.9 million | New York Rangers | Goaltender |
| Sidney Crosby | $15.3 million | Pittsburgh Penguins | Center |
| Mikko Rantanen | $15.1 million | Dallas Stars | Right Wing |
| Elias Pettersson | $14.8 million | Vancouver Canucks | Center |
| David Pastrnak | $14.5 million | Boston Bruins | Right Wing |
Source: Forbes
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Who is the Highest-Paid NHL Player?
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews tops the list as the NHL’s highest-paid player in 2025, with estimated total earnings of $20.2 million.
Forbes reports that he is back at the top of the NHL Earnings rankings for the second successive year. He’s also the only player in history to earn multiple seasons over $20 million without taking inflation into account.
The above list of the top 10 highest-paid players in 2025 illustrates what the future holds for the league.
Star Players are making much more money than before, there is an increasing amount of endorsement revenue, and there is now room for more players on each team due to the increase in Canadian hockey cap and player salaries, which has allowed teams to spend more money.
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