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Hockey Fortune: $679,336

Description

Jacques Plante’s net worth / earnings / salary history: Earned US $679,336 (US $5,585,577 in today's dollars), ranking #4240 in NHL / hockey career earnings.

Birthdate: January 17, 1929
Country of birth: Canada
Position: G
Salary History - Jacques Plante
All amounts in US$ unless otherwise noted.
Season   Earnings
(US$)
In today's
US$
Rank
1944-45 $0 $0
Amount in Canadian currency: $0.
At age 15, as he was simultaneously goalie in midget, juvenile and junior hockey and acting as the practice goalie in a senior league, he was offered $80 per week to play for a team in England and a tryout by the Providence Reds in the AHL. His parents turned down the offers.
Source(s): Book: Jacques Plante
1947-48 $2,040 $28,735
Amount in Canadian currency: $2,040.
Earned $85 per week with the Quebec Citadelles in the Quebec Junior Hockey League.
Source(s): Book: Jacques Plante
1948-49 $3,000 $39,218
Amount in Canadian currency: $3,000.
Earned $125 per week with the Quebec Citadelles in the Quebec Junior Hockey League.
Source(s): Book: Jacques Plante
1949-50 $4,505 $59,486
Amount in Canadian currency: $5,000.
Earned $4,500 with the Montreal Royals of the Quebec Senior Hockey League plus a $500 stipend to be the practice goalie of the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL.
Source(s): Book: Jacques Plante
1952-53 $5,233 $61,964
Amount in Canadian currency: $5,125.
On September 25, 1952, signed a one-year contract with the Royaux de Montreal, of the Quebec Senior Hockey League, for CAN$3,500 plus $ C 175 per playoff games. After playing 29 games, he signed a 3-game amateur tryout contract with the Montreal Canadiens, of the NHL, to replace an injured goalie at $ 125/game. On December 29, 1952, he signed a contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$3,000 to play the rest of the season with the Buffalo Bisons in the AHL and earn $ 125 per game played in Montreal. His estimated earning for the season is CAN$1,750 for the half season with the Royaux, plus $ 3,000 for the other half in Buffalo and $ 375 for the 3 games with the Canadiens.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1953-54 $8,263 $97,082
Amount in Canadian currency: $8,125.
Still considered a rookie by the NHL, despite 3 games in Montreal the previous year, he signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$6,000 to play with Buffalo in the American Hockey League plus an additional CAN$125 for games played for Montreal in the NHL. He was to received a $ 500 bonus if the Buffalo Bisons made the playoffs. He played 55 games in the AHL and 17 games in the NHL, earning his base salary of $ 6,000 and $ 2,125 for his games in the NHL.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1954-55 $9,243 $108,231
Amount in Canadian currency: $9,000.
Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$9,000 in the NHL and CAN$5,000 in the Quebec Senior Hockey League. Included a $ 500 bonus if he played for the Canadiens and the team finished 1st in the standings and $ 1,000 if he won the Vezina Trophy. He played the whole season in the NHL but did not earn any bonus.
Source(s): Copy of contract / La Presse
1955-56 $11,154 $130,949
Amount in Canadian currency: $11,000.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$9,500. Included a $ 500 bonus if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings and $ 1,000 if he won the Vezina Trophy, which he both earned.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1956-57 $12,700 $146,905
Amount in Canadian currency: $12,500.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$10,500. Included a $ 500 bonus if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings, $ 1,000 if he won the Vezina Trophy, $ 1,000 for winning any other trophy; and $ 1,000 if he made the NHL's 1st or 2nd All Star Team. He earned $ 1,000 for the Vezina trophy and $ 1,000 for being named on the league's 2nd All Star Team.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1957-58 $14,602 $163,434
Amount in Canadian currency: $14,000.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$12,500. Included a $ 1,000 bonus if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings and $ 500 if the team won the first playoff round. He earned the $ 500 bonus as the team won the Stanley Cup. ALso earned $1,000 from the NHL for winning the Vezina trophy.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1958-59 $16,480 $179,533
Amount in Canadian currency: $16,000.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$15,000. Included a $ 500 bonus if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings and $ 500 if the team won the first playoff round. He earned the $ 1,000 bonus as the team finished 1st and won the Stanley Cup.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1959-60 $18,774 $202,489
Amount in Canadian currency: $18,000.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$17,000. Included a $ 500 bonus if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings and $ 500 if the team won the first playoff round. He earned the $ 1,000 bonus as the team finished 1st and won the Stanley Cup.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1960-61 $20,105 $213,687
Amount in Canadian currency: $19,500.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$19,000. Included a $ 500 bonus if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings and $ 500 if the team won the first playoff round. He earned the $ 500 bonus as the team finished 1st .
Source(s): Copy of contract
1961-62 $20,234 $212,827
Amount in Canadian currency: $20,500.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$18,000. Included a $ 2,000 bonus if he won the Vezina trophy, $ 500 if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings and $ 500 if the team won the first playoff round. He earned $ 2,000 for winning the Vezina and $ 500 as the team finished 1st .
Source(s): Classic Auctions
1962-63 $18,720 $194,564
Amount in Canadian currency: $20,000.
Signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens for CAN$20,000. Included a $ 500 bonus if the Canadiens finished 1st in the standings and $ 500 if the team won the first playoff round. He did not earn any bonus. (Earned $21,000 according to La Presse.)
Source(s): Copy of contract
1963-64 $22,000 $225,892
Signed a two-year, one-way contract with the New York Rangers for $22,000. Included a $ 500 bonus if the Rangers finished 3rd of better in the standings, $ 500 if the team made the playoffs, $ 500 if the team played in the Stanley Cup final, and $ 500 if the team won the Stanley Cup. He did not earn any bonus. (According to the book Jacques Plante - Behind the Mask, his contract guaranteed him $24,000, which was the highest ever salary for a goalie. According to The Sporting News, the contract was for $22,500. According to the book La glorieuse histoire des Canadiens, it was for $24,000. According to The Hockey News, it was for $25,000.)
Source(s): Copy of contract / The Hockey News
1964-65 $22,000 $222,979
He did not earn any bonus and retired from pro hockey after the season.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1965-66 $0 $0
Amount in Canadian currency: $0.
He did not play professional hockey.
1966-67 $0 $0
Amount in Canadian currency: $0.
He did not play professional hockey.
1967-68 $0 $0
Amount in Canadian currency: $0.
He did not play professional hockey.
1968-69 $13,000 $117,516
Signed a three-year contract with the St. Louis Blues for $12,000 per season. Also included $14,000 yearly payments to be made in 1972-73 and 1973-74. Bonuses included $ 1,000 if the team had the lowest goal against average in the Western Division and $ 500 if it had the second lowest goal against average. He earned his $12,000 base salary plus $ 1,000 with the lowest GAA. (According to the book Jacques Plante - Behind the Mask, and The Sporting News, he earned $35,000. According to the book Jacques Planted, it was a three-year contract at $26,000 per season plus $12,000 deferred until 1972.)
Source(s): Copy of contract
1969-70 $13,000 $111,429
He earned his $12,000 base salary plus $ 1,000 with the lowest GAA.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1970-71 $38,128 $308,799
Amount in Canadian currency: $39,800.
Signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs for CAN$39,800.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1971-72 $9,900 $76,872
Amount in Canadian currency: $10,000.
Signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs for CAN$75,000 with defered payments over 8 years: CAN$10,000 on January 1st for 7 years and a final CAN$5,000 on January 1st of 1979.
Source(s): Copy of contract / Book: Jacques Plante
1972-73 $109,981 $826,830
Amount in Canadian currency: $109,000.
Signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs for CAN$85,000 per season. Also earned the defered $14,000 from the St. Louis Blues from his 1968-69 contract and the defered CAN$10,000 from the Toronto Maple Leafs from his 1971-72 contract. Retired as a player after the season.
Source(s): Copy of contract
1973-74 $89,000 $630,216
Amount in Canadian currency: $89,000.
Signed a ten-year contract for CAN$ 60,000 per season ($100,000 according to the book Jacques Plante - Behind the Mask) as the coach of the Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association. Quit after 1 season to come back as a player with Edmonton. Got a $5,000 severance bonus from Quebec. Also earned the defered $14,000 from the St. Louis Blues from his 1968-69 contrac and the defered CAN$10,000 from the Toronto Maple Leafs from his 1971-72 contract.
Source(s): Book: Les Nordiques / Copy of contract
1974-75 $163,520 $1,042,602
Amount in Canadian currency: $160,000.
Signed a one-year deal for $150,000 with the Edmonton Oilers, of the World Hockey Association, after a bad experience coaching the Quebec Nordiques in the same league, and realizing he could make much more money playing. Also earned the defered CAN$10,000 from the Toronto Maple Leafs from his 1971-72 contract. Retired as a pro-hockey player after the season.
Source(s): Book: The Rebel League / Book: Jacques Plante / The Hockey Research Journal
1975-76 $9,830 $57,424
Amount in Canadian currency: $10,000.
Earned the defered CAN$10,000 from the Toronto Maple Leafs from his 1971-72 contract.
1976-77 $10,140 $56,019
Amount in Canadian currency: $10,000.
Earned the defered CAN$10,000 from the Toronto Maple Leafs from his 1971-72 contract.
1977-78 $9,400 $48,760
Amount in Canadian currency: $10,000.
Earned the defered CAN$10,000 from the Toronto Maple Leafs from his 1971-72 contract.
1978-79 $4,385 $21,135
Amount in Canadian currency: $5,000.
Earned the defered CAN$5,000 from the Toronto Maple Leafs from his 1971-72 contract.
Career Total: US $679,336
(In today's dollars: US $5,585,577)

NHL Rank: 4240
(In today's dollars: 2205)

Contract(s) (click to enlarge)