Minor Pro Salaries

[alko]

I know this is slightly OT, since it's not The NHL, but i could nmot find a better fit for my question.
A Norwegian D man named, Henrik Odegaard http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=16328
was signed to an AHL contract with The Chicago Wolves, but after only one game played he was loaned to the CHL team Missouri Maveric
What I wounder is, since TheCHL is listed as an professional league, how much does the average player get paid there?
Can a 26 year old foreigner expect to make a living from a salary from The CHL?
IMO it was bad decision to sign an AHL contract at al at that age. Has it been a ELC or a university team(if he was younger), the story could have been different.

Mods, feel free to move the tread to another place that is more suitable

hard to say, because i never played hockey in CHL. Also tzo notiuce, i never played hockey.
But there is lot of euro players, that go to CHL, SPHL, even FHL... Lets take as a last example 37 years old forward Martin Hlinka. He was last few years in DEL and now is he in CHL. Im sure the salary in DEL was much better as it is now. But why is he there? It means, it will be not so bad for him.

 

[iamjs]

Who is paying the contracts? If an NHL team assigns some player from the AHL to the ECHL, is the AHL team still required to pay his contract?

From what I remember, when the NHL assigned a player down to the ECHL, the NHL paid but it was only a $500/wk hit on the ECHL cap.

Edit: Looks like it's $525/wk

The NHL/AHL affiliate payment for 2013-14 is $525 per week. Any affiliate amount other than $525 per week agreed upon with any NHL/AHL club will be considered a salary cap violation. This includes excess payments for equipment, travel, etc.

http://www.echl.com/faq-s-s12377

 

[Mike Kersey]

What about the old EHL of the 60s and early 70s? What were the salaries ?

 

[Cyclones Rock]

What about the old EHL of the 60s and early 70s? What were the salaries ?

Until the night of Oct. 29, Raymond William (Wild Willie) Trognitz was just another guy banging out a living as a 10-grand-a-year minor league hockey bad man for the Dayton Owls.

WILD WILLIE GETS A NEW LEASE ON LIFE

Better paid IHL guys made about $10k per year ($350 per week) in the 70s. So I'd guess the EHL probably was in the $100-200 per week range. But that's just a guess.

 

[alko]

Until the night of Oct. 29, Raymond William (Wild Willie) Trognitz was just another guy banging out a living as a 10-grand-a-year minor league hockey bad man for the Dayton Owls.

WILD WILLIE GETS A NEW LEASE ON LIFE

Better paid IHL guys made about $10k per year ($350 per week) in the 70s. So I'd guess the EHL probably was in the $100-200 per week range. But that's just a guess.

Was it enough to live standard life?

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Was it enough to live standard life?

A very minimal material life.....maybe. I would think that all of these guys worked in the off season at regular jobs.

Most players in the major leagues used to work in the off season. A member of the 1975 world champion Cincinnati Reds named Terry Crowley lived in a very modest apartment complex near where I grew up. He worked every off season at various jobs. It wasn't that long ago that Pete Rose became "the first $100,000 per year singles hitter", as he used to say.

Big money and sports is a very recent phenomenon. It's gotten to the point where many AHLers don't have to work in the off season as some of them can make upwards of $300,000. But lower minor league guys who aren't on NHL deals have to do something in the off season unless they have money from other sources or live in their parent's basement

 

[garnetpalmetto]

Was it enough to live standard life?

FWIW based on inflation, $10K a year in 1977 is equivalent to a little over $41,600.00 a year now.

 

[alko]

FWIW based on inflation, $10K a year in 1977 is equivalent to a little over $41,600.00 a year now.

For Slovak standards it is very good paid job. I dont know, how is it in North America.

 

[SemireliableSource]

Depending on where you live, that's either not a lot or you can live a decent life. ECHL or lower towns, you can live a decent life on that. Especially if you live with roommates/teammates.

 

[LadyStanley]

Also depends on if "salary" includes board or if that's extra (at team paid-for apartments).

 

[210]

Depending on where you live, that's either not a lot or you can live a decent life. ECHL or lower towns, you can live a decent life on that. Especially if you live with roommates/teammates.

In the ECHL teams have to provide housing (including utilities) so players can do decently during the season. I know a few that have summer jobs.

 

[Duke Guy]

That $41K would be for about 6 months work. That doesn't sound too bad.

 

[royals119]

That $41K would be for about 6 months work. That doesn't sound too bad.

Just to be clear, that was a number in response to a different question than the thread title might imply. The average ECHL player today makes about $13,000. League minimum for a season is about $9000. Low end guys who are getting released and re-signed make even less, since contracts are day to day, and you only get paid when you are on the roster. Top end guys (maybe a couple per team) might make $25,000. They do get a team paid furnished apartment, and a small per diem when on the road, plus some team provided meals, so they don't have a lot of expenses during the season. On the other hand, no health insurance in the off season. Most guys do something for money in the off-season. Hockey clinics, construction work, truck driver, landscaping, etc - or they live at home with mom and dad.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Just to be clear, that was a number in response to a different question than the thread title might imply. The average ECHL player today makes about $13,000. League minimum for a season is about $9000. Low end guys who are getting released and re-signed make even less, since contracts are day to day, and you only get paid when you are on the roster. Top end guys (maybe a couple per team) might make $25,000. They do get a team paid furnished apartment, and a small per diem when on the road, plus some team provided meals, so they don't have a lot of expenses during the season. On the other hand, no health insurance in the off season. Most guys do something for money in the off-season. Hockey clinics, construction work, truck driver, landscaping, etc - or they live at home with mom and dad.

The only ones making money in the ECHL-with rare exception- are those on NHL deals and AHL deals. An NHL deal player in the ECHL can make decent money. Johas Johansson who is Buffalo property and will start the season in Cincinnati will make $162,500 at the minor league level. $70,000 in salary and $92,500 in prorated signing bonus.

Jonas Johansson - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

As royals119 pointed out, players in the ECHL can be cut in a moment's notice and not be owed any more money. An ECHL contract can be terminated by the club without any future obligations owed to the player.

The Player understands and recognizes that he is competing with other Players
for a position on the Member’s Active Roster within the applicable Player limits.
If at any time, in the sole judgment of the Member, the Player’s skill and
performance has not been satisfactory as compared to that of the other Players
41
competing for positions on the Member’s Active Roster, then the Member may
Release the Player and immediately terminate this SPC and the payments
provided for herein.

^^^^from the PHPA CBA

echl standard player contract - Google Search One can download the CBA (first entry on search) if interested.

 

[Avery Rule]

Knowing someone that played in the ECHL I believe when I asked him this question I remember him saying they could make around 35k a year. And I do remember him mentioning someone that was in the ECHL on a NHL contract backing him up and laughing about how much he was making to sit in the ECHL.

 

[JMCx4]

That $41K would be for about 6 months work. That doesn't sound too bad.

That's slightly less than half of the U.S. average poverty level for a 3-person family. So a player with a wife/partner & one child would have to earn a little bit more than $41k in the other 6 months just to climb above the poverty line. Does THAT sound bad?

 

[210]

May I suggest you recheck your numbers?

 

[Barclay Donaldson]

That's slightly less than half of the U.S. average poverty level for a 3-person family. So a player with a wife/partner & one child would have to earn a little bit more than $41k in the other 6 months just to climb above the poverty line. Does THAT sound bad?

For a 3 person family in the US in 2018 it was $21,330. An income of 82k puts them above 88% of Americans. An income of 41k puts them above 67% and about twice as high as a family of 3 at the poverty line. I'm not sure what kind of Scrooge McDuck dollars you're rolling in, but I'd suggest double checking your numbers.

 

[JMCx4]

@210 and @Barclay Donaldson: Thanks for that. Must've been reading stats for the OTHER America. Disregard.

 

[Growler]

Not sure how accurate it is, but I heard that Adam Pardy was the highest paid player in the ECHL this year (on an ECHL contract) by quite a lot. I don't know how much it is, but it is possible to pay a few players on ECHL contracts a lot more than the average when you handle the team like Toronto does stocking the roster with guys on AHL deals. The ECHL franchise pays a small amount of salary to the AHL club (pre-defined by ECHL rules) and the AHL club makes up the remainder of what the player's AHL contract specifies. If you have a lot of AHL players on the roster like Newfoundland (12-16 in any given game), the weekly roster payroll will be relatively low enabling the ECHL club to pay the few guys on ECHL contracts a lot more than the average ECHL salary (total weekly roster payroll is capped in the ECHL).

 

[royals119]

Not sure how accurate it is, but I heard that Adam Pardy was the highest paid player in the ECHL this year (on an ECHL contract) by quite a lot. I don't know how much it is, but it is possible to pay a few players on ECHL contracts a lot more than the average when you handle the team like Toronto does stocking the roster with guys on AHL deals. The ECHL franchise pays a small amount of salary to the AHL club (pre-defined by ECHL rules) and the AHL club makes up the remainder of what the player's AHL contract specifies. If you have a lot of AHL players on the roster like Newfoundland (12-16 in any given game), the weekly roster payroll will be relatively low enabling the ECHL club to pay the few guys on ECHL contracts a lot more than the average ECHL salary (total weekly roster payroll is capped in the ECHL).

So, some quick math. Salary cap is $13,000 per week. Affiliate payment for AHL/NHL contracted players is $525 per week. If 16 contracted players are assigned, that leaves $4600 per week to split between the remaining players. Assuming 18 players on payroll per week (you can carry up to 20, but only 18 dress), and 27 weeks in the season. If the two who aren't on NHL/AHL contracts split that remainder equally, that is $2300 a week, or about $62,000 for the season. Pretty good money for an ECHL player, but still less than the average AHL salary. The team could have one of those players at the ECHL minimum, thereby maximizing the amount available for the other player, which would then be ~$110,000. Obviously teams don't have to spend to the cap, and most teams carry the extra skaters when they can, which would affect the amount available. Also, contracts can be adjusted weekly (I believe that is still true), so they could pay their star more when they are shorthanded, and less when they have extra players, if he agrees.
According to a quick Google search the average salary in the AHL is $90,000, minimum is $47,500, just for comparison.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

ABOVE DEPENDS ON a couple of bullets:

1) Whether it's a 2 way AHL/NHL, deal or an AHL/ECHL deal..... then add in players who are now being added out of college to an SPC AS you see ECHL teams do, and to a limited extent AHL teams

 

[Growler]

So, some quick math. Salary cap is $13,000 per week. Affiliate payment for AHL/NHL contracted players is $525 per week. If 16 contracted players are assigned, that leaves $4600 per week to split between the remaining players. Assuming 18 players on payroll per week (you can carry up to 20, but only 18 dress), and 27 weeks in the season. If the two who aren't on NHL/AHL contracts split that remainder equally, that is $2300 a week, or about $62,000 for the season. Pretty good money for an ECHL player, but still less than the average AHL salary. The team could have one of those players at the ECHL minimum, thereby maximizing the amount available for the other player, which would then be ~$110,000. Obviously teams don't have to spend to the cap, and most teams carry the extra skaters when they can, which would affect the amount available. Also, contracts can be adjusted weekly (I believe that is still true), so they could pay their star more when they are shorthanded, and less when they have extra players, if he agrees.
According to a quick Google search the average salary in the AHL is $90,000, minimum is $47,500, just for comparison.

Do other ECHL clubs "play" with the IR list? Not to reveal secrets, but I'm pretty sure Newfoundland does it regularly. I'm sure the IR guys get paid, right? Ya, they have to.

 

[adsfan]

Was it enough to live standard life?

I grew up in Dayton. The cost of living, especially the cost for food and gasoline, was below the national average. My senior year in college (1980-81), I had an apartment, 1 bdrm, heat included, with a balcony and an outdoor pool and free parking for $205 a month in Cincinnati, 6 blocks south of the UC campus.

When my wife and I moved out of the complex near our home in 1985, the rent for 2 bdrms with heat, underground parking and indoor pool was $700 and going up substantially.

In between, my 1 bdrm Milwaukee apartment with heat, free laundry and underground parking was $300 a month in 1981-82, with no pool, or 50% more than in Cincinnati, in 1981-82.

I can believe that $250 or $300 a week was enough in the late 1970s for a single man, especially if you had roommates. The Dayton Owls played in 1977-78 after the Dayton Gems folded. A gallon of gas was $1 and a loaf of white bread was 29 cents. Most of the Gems players had part time jobs. A Dman sold insurance in my mom's office building. One worked in a lumber yard. Another guy, a forward, worked construction, driving earth movers in the summer.

 

[royals119]

Do other ECHL clubs "play" with the IR list? Not to reveal secrets, but I'm pretty sure Newfoundland does it regularly. I'm sure the IR guys get paid, right? Ya, they have to.

They get paid, but they don't count toward the cap. Only the 20 man roster counts toward the cap (18 active, plus two scratches, if the team has a full roster). It used to be that the player had to sign a statement saying he was injured to go on IR. Of course after the first two days of camp everyone is "injured", so it was regularly abused. I think that is why they just call it a "reserve" list now. They basically acknowledged that you don't have to be injured. Royals used to have an assistant coach that they paid as a player. He would go in IR on cutdown day in October, and stay there until the end of the season. They did it for I think three years. It just worked out better for everyone concerned to have him on the union insurance and give him player housing instead of treating him as a member of the office staff.