CrashingTheGoalie

by Ron Spence

This post compares the top hockey and baseball salaries.

As is quickly apparent, the top baseball player makes 280% more that the top hockey player. The reasons? Hockey has a salary cap and baseball doesn’t. And, baseball has the lucrative TV contracts.

The list of baseball salaries is provided by: proathletesonly.com.

NHL.com writes the following about Maximum Salaries:  Maximum NHL Salaries

“No player may be eligible to contract for or receive in excess of 20% of the Club’s upper limit in total annual compensation (NHL salary plus signing, roster, reporting and all performance bonuses).”

NHLSCAP.com reports that: “The Upper Limit:  [is] $56,700,000 … The Lower Limit:  [is] $40,700,000 [Both for 2008-09].
It also notes: “Keep in mind that for 2008-09, this is a hard limit, so teams cannot use performance bonuses to go over knowing that if they end the season over the Upper Limit, the amount by which they go over is applied to the following season.  All salary and bonuses must fit under the Upper Limit.  [LTIR is still available to teams who need it.]“

Thus, taking this cap number of $56 million (plus) and multiplying it by 20%, an NHL player could earn $11,340,000, which is $1,340,000 more than Danny Heatly is currently making (And Mats Sundin had been offered by the Canucks.).

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To make this an apple to apple type of comparison, I have found MLB players who are making the same salaries as the top NHLers.

A few of these players are arguably the best at their positions in Major League Baseball, but most are not (profiles courtesy of FOX Sports). These few stars – in this profile – will go on to make the big bucks when their current contracts expire.

TED LILLY

(the 5^th highest paid on the Cubs’ roster)

RYAN HOWARD

(2^nd highest paid on the Phillies)

BILLY WAGNER

(5^th highest paid on the Mets)

AUBREY HUFF

(highest paid on the Orioles roster)

ROY HALLADAY

(5^th highest paid on the Blue Jays)

JULIO LUGO

(7^th highest paid on the Red Sox)

DEREK LOWE

(4^th highest paid on the Dodgers)

JERMAINE DYE

(7^th highest paid on the White Sox)

TOM GLAVIN

(6^th highest paid on the Braves)

Tom Glavin’s salary seems high, because he injured his arm and had a sub-par season. But, it should be noted that he turned down a $13 million contract – which he was entitled to, from the Mets – and accepted $8 million so that he could finish career in his home, Atlanta.