Introduction

Patrick Marleau is a Canadian former professional NHL player with an estimated net worth of $46 Million.

During 23 NHL seasons, Patrick Marleau played for three teams: the San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He played 1,779 games, recording 566 goals and 631 assists. As a result, Marleau earned an estimated $97 million, which translates to approximately $4.22 million per year.

Marleau holds the record for playing the most games in NHL history. He became the fourth player in history to play 900 consecutive games and one of only five to play 1,400 games with the same team. Although he retired in 2022, his career remains among the longest and most successful in ice hockey history.

NHL Contracts & Salary

Longevity was a crucial factor in Patrick Marleau’s career, allowing him to play at a professional level for over two decades and earn a consistently high income. During his NHL career, Marleau earned a total of $97 million in salary and bonuses, peaking in the 2010s. Let’s run through the timeline of his contracts and annual salary.

San Jose Sharks Contracts & Salary

When Patrick first signed with the San Joe Sharks in 1997, he secured a three-year rookie deal worth $2.78 million. This translated into a salary of $925,000 per year for the first three seasons of his career. It’s also worth noting that, according to our research, Marleau never signed a contract longer than four years. Most of his agreements were between one and two years in length.

His next three years in the NHL were all under one-year contracts, beginning with a $1.4 million salary in 2001, and increasing to $2.35 million by 2003. His 2003/04 contract was technically a two-year, $4.7 million deal; however, when the 2004/05 season was canceled due to the salary cap dispute, not a single player was paid for the entire year. As a result, he lost an additional $2.35 million in salary.

With every new contract, Patrick Marleau’s salary consistently increased. In 2005, he signed a three-year $12.5 million deal with the Sharks, pushing his average annual salary to $4.17 million. This was followed by a two-year $12.6 million agreement, worth $6.3 million per year. 

In 2010, Marleau inked the most valuable deal of his career, worth $27.6 million over four years. Under the agreement, he earned $6.9 million per season, except in 2012/13, due to another NHL lockout. Players didn’t receive their full salaries that year; thus, Marleau earned an estimated $5.42 million. His final deal with the Sharks earned him $20 million over three years, bringing his total with the team to $81.53 million.

Additional Contracts & Earnings

The final four seasons of Patrick’s career would be split across four teams, but his most notable deal was a three-year, $18.75 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 2017/28 season was the most lucrative of his entire career, earning him a peak annual salary of $8.5 million. He also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and then rejoined the Sharks, retiring with the team. 

Real Estate

According to public records, Patrick Marleau paid $3.9 million in January 2006 for a 5,726-square-foot, six-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom home in Saratoga, California. The property, built in 2001, features amenities such as an outdoor pool with a jacuzzi and gazebo area. Marleau relisted the property at $4.3 million in August 2014, but let it go for just $4.1 million in October. This would have resulted in a loss after taxes and commissions.

One of the more interesting properties in Patrick Marleau’s real estate history was his 12,000-square-foot, six-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion in Toronto, Ontario. He reportedly paid $11.63 million for the home in 2017, upon signing with the Maple Leafs. The home boasts heated floors, eight fireplaces, and a huge 13-car garage. However, what sets it apart from other properties is the custom-built ice rink in the back garden. In 2019, when Marleau left Toronto, he put the home up for sale with an asking price of $11.88 million. That said, we were unable to find a confirmed sale price. Nonetheless, this also would have resulted in a loss.

Introduction

Joe Thornton is a Canadian former professional NHL player with an estimated net worth of $60 Million.

In an NHL career spanning 24 seasons, Joe Thornton played for four teams: the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers. He played 1,714 games, recording 430 goals and 1,109 assists. As a result, Thornton earned an estimated $111.5 million, which translates to roughly $4.65 million/year.

NHL Salary

Longevity played an enormous role in the amount of money Joe Thornton earned during his career. Thornton played in the NHL for 24 seasons, earning approximately $111.5 million in salary and bonuses, most of which came from the San Jose Sharks. With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of his contracts and salary across all the teams he played for.

Boston Bruins Contracts & Salary

When Joe Thornton joined the NHL in 1997, he signed a three-year rookie contract worth $2.78 million with the Boston Bruins. The deal included a 10% signing bonus, paid out evenly over three years, which meant Thornton earned $925,000 per year during his rookie contract. 

In 2000, Joe signed another three-year deal with the Bruins, valued at $5.88 million, which more than doubled his average annual salary. This was followed by a one-year, $5.5 million contract for the 2003/04 season. Thornton didn’t receive any compensation in the 2004/05 season due to the NHL lockout. His final contract with Boston was worth $20 million over three years; however, he was traded to the San Jose Sharks after just one season. As a result, Joe Thornton earned a total of $20.8 million with the Boston Bruins in salary and bonuses.

San Jose Sharks Contracts & Salary

Thornton finished up the two final years of his contract with the Sharks, securing an additional $13.3 million. The following three contracts of his career were all structured in a relatively similar fashion. Each agreement was three years long and valued between $20.25 million and $21.6 million. This led the Canadian to typically earn an average of $7 million per year over the next nine NHL seasons, although there were some slight variations. 

In 2017, after these contracts concluded, Thornton was 38 years old and had suffered a knee injury midway through the year. Beginning to show his age, the Sharks weren’t keen on offering him any further multi-year agreements. Instead, they kept Thornton signed to one-year deals, finishing his tenure with the club after the 2019/20 season. Joe Thornton played fourteen seasons with the San Jose Sharks, earning a total of $89.3 million with the team. 

Additional Contracts

After leaving San Jose, Thornton played two more seasons in the league, earning $700,000 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and $750,000 with the Florida Panthers.

Real Estate

In 2008, Joe Thornton paid $2 million for a 6,422-square-foot, five-bedroom, six-bathroom property in Los Gatos, California. The home, built in 2011, sits on 1.36 acres and features an infinity pool with panoramic mountain views. He owned the property for well over a decade, eventually listing it for $9.5 million in April 2021. At that price, it didn’t attract a buyer, and after several price reductions, he let it go for $8.7 million. Ultimately, he made a ton of profit on the sale. 

Summary 

Joe will always be remembered as a talented hockey player and superb captain. With his immense talent and leadership, Joe has left his mark on the NHL. After a career breaking records, it is hard to tell what Joe will get up to next, but given his history, it’ll be something big.

Introduction

Sergei Gonchar is a Russian former professional ice hockey player with an estimated net worth of $44 Million.

In an NHL career spanning two decades, Sergei Gonchar played for six teams: the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Ottawa Senators, Dallas Stars, and Montreal Canadiens. He played a total of 1,301 games, recording 220 goals and 591 assists. As a result, Gonchar earned an estimated $68.7 million, which translates to roughly $3.43 million/year.

Quick Facts

• Earned $68.7 million during his NHL career
• Peak annual salary of $6 million in the 2008/09 season
• Victim of the $25 million golf resort development scam

NHL Salary

Washington Capitals Contracts & Salary

In 1994, Sergei Gonchar signed a three-year, $1.2 million rookie contract with the Washington Capitals. He earned $400,000/year for his first three seasons in the NHL. In 1997, he signed a one-year, $1.15 million deal with Washington. By 1998, he began earning $1.65 million/year with the Capitals, and in 2000, he signed his first eight-figure contract—a $13.3 million deal spanning four years. Gonchar earned $18.95 million with the Washington Capitals, playing with the team for eight seasons. 

Pittsburgh Penguins Contract & Salary

In 2005, Sergei switched teams, signing a five-year, $25 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The deal secured Gonchar some of his highest-earning years in the NHL. He earned $3.5 million in 2005, $4.5 million in 2006, $5.5 million in 2007, $6 million in 2008, and $5.5 million in 2009. Gonchar signed just one deal at Pittsburgh, earning $25 million.

Ottawa Senators Contract & Salary

In 2010, Gonchar signed a three-year contract worth $16.5 million with the Ottawa Senators, averaging $5.5 million per year. However, during the 2012/13 NHL lockout, he earned just $3.2 million with the Senators and returned to Russia to play in the KHL. After completing the contract in 2013, Gonchar’s career earnings totaled $58.2 million.

Additional Salaries

In 2013, Gonchar signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Dallas Stars. He earned $5 million with Dallas for the 2013/14 season and approximately $913,978 for a brief period of the 2014/15 season. For the remainder of the season, he played with the Montreal Canadiens, earning $4.6 million. During his NHL career, Sergei Gonchar earned $68.7 million in salary.

Golf Resort Development Lawsuit

In 2009, nineteen NHL players filed a lawsuit against Ken Jowdy, a well-known figure in the golf course and resort development industry. The suit alleged that the players had invested a combined $25 million in a golf resort development in Mexico, led by Rowdy. However, the players claimed that the development never materialized, and their money was instead wasted on expensive parties. It was thought that these parties, which often had famous athletes in attendance, were thrown to attract potential investors.

The list of players included the likes of Sergei Gonchar, Bryan Berard, Michael Peca, Chris Simon, and Greg deVries, among others. They sought the return of the $25 million investment, plus an additional $15 million in damages. The FBI and the SEC eventually investigated the failed development, and two men were criminally charged. However, while they initially thought Rowdy to be an innocent party, the authorities later labeled him as a co-conspirator and began freezing his assets.

Despite several attempts at a settlement, the lawsuit’s outcome remains unknown. We don’t know whether the players, including Gonchar, have received compensation.

Real Estate

In September 2005, Sergei Gonchar paid $1.15 million for a 5,305-square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home in Sewickley, Pennsylvania. The property was initially built in 1991 and is situated on 2 acres of land. It also features a large motor court and an indoor pool. According to public records, Gonchar sold this home at a loss, selling it for just $1.05 million in June 2012. He’d been trying to sell it for several years, and even listed it for rent at one point, asking for $5,500 per month.