How Much Are Players Paid in the Playoffs? – Hockey Writers – Hockey Business

*This archive was originally written by Jeff Seide

When a hockey player wins the Stanley Cup and receives the greatest trophy in all of sports, his mind is filled with many thoughts. Memories of ice skating on frozen lakes as children. They should have conquered all their dreams when they were growing up. Countless times their parents dragged them back to the rank at all hours. All their family, coaches and teammates believed in them and encouraged them.

It’s a joy. A complete rush of emotions. And when the dust settles, it’s back to pay more.

NHL Playoff Pay

It’s time for the play offs, the players are still not paid even though the contracts are paid from July 1 to June 30.

NHL players are not paid a different 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 not allowed to have playoff bonuses.

That said, players still receive compensation for appearing in the finals. The NHL and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) agree to set aside a playoff bonus pool to be distributed to each playoff team based on how far it advances. Referred to in Article 28 of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as the Players Fund.

Gaming Pot

The size of the playoff prize pool typically increases every third season. In 2012-13 and 2013-14, the playoff pool was $13 million, or twice the amount set aside in the previous CBA. Here’s how the pool was divided in 2013:

The President’s Trophy, awarded to the club that accumulates the most points in the league during the league’s 82-game regular season, gets a smaller slice of the pie.

Presidential award winner – $500,000
First round losers – $2 million ($250,000 per team up to eight)
Second round losers – $2 million ($500,000 per team up to four)
Third round losers – $2.5 million ($1.25 million per team to two)
Stanley Cup Final – $2.25 million
Stanley Cup Champion – $3.75 million

If we look at the differences from last season, the stakes have been much bigger:

Presidential award winner – $859,375
First round losers – $429,687
Second round losers – $859,375
Third round losers – $2,062,500
Stanley Cup Final – $3,781,250
Stanley Cup Champion – $6,539,375

Increased Income

As league income has increased, so has the bonus pool. Here’s how the playoff prize pool has grown over the past decade from $13 million in 2012-13 to $16 million in 2018-19. The current CBA, which went into effect for the 2020-21 season, allocated the following amounts to 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

Next season, when the new CBA – which was extended to June 27, 2025 – goes into effect, the Playoff Fund will get a big increase of $10 million and will raise $2 million every season after that. The league will pay all of it again, instead of the $12 million, and it will be considered part of the budget and not part of hockey-related revenue. Here is the breakdown:

• 2026-27: $34 million
• 2027-28: $36 million
• 2028-29: $38 million
• 2029-30: $40 million

Splitting Dollars

The NHLPA, with the approval of the league, determines how the pool is distributed among the participating playoff teams each year.

Each party votes on the number of shares to issue. Players who dress for a few playoff games usually don’t get the full share, but regulars usually get an equal amount. In other words, each player does not necessarily get an equal share of the pool allocated to their team. There are usually some adjustments made based on list size, healthy scratches, and other unique circumstances.

• In 2025, the eight teams that lost in the first round received approximately $3.4 million ($429,687 per team). With each team having a roster of 23 players, each player received approximately $18,600.
• The four playoff teams that lost in the second round also received $3.4 million ($859,375 per team); each of the 23 players earned about $37,000.
• The two losing teams in the conference finals each received $2,062,500; each of the 23 players earned about $90,000.
• The losers of the Stanley Cup finals received $3,781,250; each of the 23 players earned about $164,000.
• Stanley Cup winners earned $6,539,375; each of the 27 players earned about $242,000.

Comparing Championship Prize Money to Other Leagues

In the major sports – baseball, football, basketball and hockey – NHL champions get paid very little.

Major League Baseball – In 2025, the 12 teams of the previous season received bonuses of $ 128.2 million. The Player Pool changes each year based on ticket sales: Made up of 60% of gate receipts from guaranteed playoff games.

Each share of the 2024 World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers received $484,747.

The National Football League – In addition to bringing home the Vince Lombardi Trophy, players from the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles each received a six-figure bonus check: $171,000 for winning the final game. That’s according to the 2020 collective bargaining agreement the NFL signed with the NFL Players’ Association, which will run through the 2030 season. In total, they made an additional $352,000 each from their qualifying tournament. The Kansas City Chiefs, the losers of the Super Bowl, took home $96,000 to walk away with big regrets.

National Basketball Association – NBA prize money is put into a pool, and each team gets a share based on their performance. Last year, the total pot was around $35 million. Each participating group receives a share of it as payment, and the bonus is divided equally among all group members.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in 2025. According to statistics, the team’s income was about $8.8 million. That money is then divided equally between the players.

Chump change to Champs

Stanley Cup champions are winners on many levels. Besides lifting the Cup with a victory lap and getting a Stanley Cup Champion ring, they often make their playoff runs into lucrative contracts.

So while they may not get a bonus outright, they may have more leverage for a higher contract down the road. Famous players from trophy-winning teams will also benefit even more financially after winning endorsements.

For famous celebrities, the amount of prize money they receive is very small compared to their multi-million dollar salaries. But for minors or those with value contracts, playoff pay can be a large portion of their total salary.

Ask any player and they will tell you that money is not the reason they play. Their ultimate goal is to get their name engraved on the Stanley Cup and get a Stanley Cup ring. And that is precious.