Gary Bettman, who has been NHL Commissioner since 1993, has accumulated the largest NHL fortune, with over $US 209 million, ahead of Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. Since 2023-24, after Jaromir Jagr led for many years, Bettman is now also ranked #1 in earnings in today's dollar value, which reflects the equivalent, in today's purchasing power, of accumulated past salaries.
As points of comparison, John Ziegler, who was NHL President for 15 years, earned an annual salary of $US 225,000, the equivalent of about $US 909,000 in today’s dollars, in the late 1970s. In 1943, Red Dutton earned $US 13,505, the equivalent of $US 200,000 in today’s dollars. Frank Calder, who served as the first NHL President for 26 years, earned $US 10,812 ($US 169,609 today) in his final year, 1942-43, while he was paid $US 1,080 ($US 15,428 today) in 1922.
Photo credit: Bridget Samuels