Phil Esposito
NHL Fortune:
$5,108,662
Description
Phil Esposito’s net worth / earnings / salary history: Earned US $5,108,662 (US $20,656,876 in today's dollars), ranking #1949 in NHL / hockey career earnings.
Birthdate: February 20, 1942Country of birth: Canada
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Did you know that Gary Bettman has accumulated the largest NHL fortune with $209M? Info about the franchise value evolution and ownership history of NHL/hockey teams. |
| Salary History - Phil Esposito All amounts in US$ unless otherwise noted. |
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| Season | Earnings (US$) |
In today's US$ |
Rank |
| 1961-62 | $1,362 | $14,687 | |
| Amount in Canadian currency: $1,380. | |||
| At age 19, played most of the season with the St. Catharines Teepees, of the Ontario Hockey Association, earning $C57.50 per week ($60 per week minus $2.50 because he was a pound over his target weight of 200 pounds) for 6 months | |||
| Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast | |||
| 1963-64 | $5,800 | $61,050 | |
| His first season in the NHL. During the summer, until his first big contract at age 30 in 1972, worked at a steel plant earning $10,000 for the summer. | |||
| Source(s): SportingNewsRadio interview | |||
| 1964-65 | $10,000 | $103,901 | |
| Signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Chicago Blackhawks for $8,500 and $10,000. Regular season bonuses for 1964-65 included $500 for 40 points or more, $500 for 15 goals or more, another $500 for 20 goals or more. Regular season bonuses for 1965-66 included $500 for 15 goals or more, another $500 for 20 goals or more. Got 23 goals and 55 points, earning a bonus of $ 1,500. (According to Phil Esposito on Pioneers on NHL Network, he earned $6,500) | |||
| Source(s): Copy of contract | |||
| 1965-66 | $11,000 | $112,513 | |
| Scored 27 goals, earning a bonus of $ 1,000 (Earned $6,500 according to the book Hockey Night Fever: Mullets, Mayhem and the Game's Coming of Age in the 1970s.) | |||
| Source(s): Copy of contract | |||
| 1966-67 | $16,000 | $158,915 | |
| Signed a two-year, one-way contract with the Chicago Blackhawks for $16,000 and $17,000. Regular season bonuses included $1,000 for scoring over 30 goals in the season. Did not earn the bonus. | |||
| Source(s): Copy of contract | |||
| 1967-68 | $18,000 | $173,903 | |
| Earned $1,000 bonus with 35 goals. (According to Phil Esposito on Pioneers on NHL Network, he earned $10,000 base salary plus bonuses based on number of goals: $500 for 20; an additional $1,000 for 25; an additional $1,000 for 30 goals; an additional $2,000 for 35; an additional $5,000 for 40.) | |||
| Source(s): Copy of contract | |||
| 1968-69 | $19,500 | $180,703 | |
| $10,000 base salary plus bonus based on number of goals: $500 for 20; an additional $1,000 for 25; an additional $1,000 for 30 goals; an additional $2,000 for 35; an additional $5,000 for 40. Scored 49 goals, earning $ 9,500 in bonuses. | |||
| Source(s): Phil Esposito on Pioneers (NHL Network) | |||
| 1969-70 | $27,000 | $237,244 | |
| Source(s): La Presse / The Hockey News | |||
| 1970-71 | $35,000 | $290,585 | |
| Source(s): The Hockey News | |||
| 1971-72 | $100,000 | $795,999 | |
| Prior to the season, signed a four-year contract with the Boston Bruins for $400,000 overall. It was his first big NHL contract and he stopped working at a steel plant during the summer. (According to The Hockey News and another edition of La Presse, the contract was $700,000 for four years.) | |||
| Source(s): La Presse / Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick Podcast | |||
| 1972-73 | $100,000 | $770,684 | |
| Source(s): La Presse | |||
| 1973-74 | $100,000 | $725,901 | |
| The Vancouver Blazers, of the WHA, reportedly offered him a contract at annual salary of $350,000 during the season. He ended up never playing in the WHA. | |||
| Source(s): La Presse | |||
| 1974-75 | $100,000 | $653,620 | |
| Source(s): La Presse | |||
| 1975-76 | $200,000 | $1,197,696 | |
| Prior to the season, met the Vancouver Blazers of the World Hockey Association and was offered a five-year contract for $2.5M plus a $1M signing bonus. He considered it and turned it down out of loyalty for the Bruins. He ultimately signed a four-year contract with the Boston Bruins for $200,000 per season. Twelve game into the season, he was traded to the New York Rangers. (Earned $250,000 according to The Hockey News, $300,000 according to La Presse, $335,000 according to another edition of La Presse, and $375,000 according to The Sporting News / According to another edition of The Hockey News, in February 1976 with the Rangers, he was earning $375,000 with 3 years left at that salary, perhaps based on a new contract signed after joining the Rangers.) | |||
| Source(s): The New York Times / Book: The Hot Line | |||
| 1976-77 | $400,000 | $2,265,331 | |
| (Earned $300,000 according to The Sporting News, $280,000 according to The Hockey News and $250,000 according to La Presse.) | |||
| Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast | |||
| 1977-78 | $325,000 | $1,728,221 | |
| (Earned $US 400,000 according to Phil Esposito on the Cam & Strick podcast (and he's not known to exagerate!) and $215,000 according to the Gazette.) | |||
| Source(s): Globe and Mail / The Hockey News 1979 / Book: The Hot Line / The Hockey News | |||
| 1978-79 | $400,000 | $1,976,391 | |
| (Earned $300,000 or $350,000 according to different editions of La Presse.) | |||
| Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast | |||
| 1979-80 | $400,000 | $1,776,247 | |
| (Earned $275,000 according to The Sporting News.) | |||
| Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast | |||
| 1980-81 | $400,000 | $1,564,373 | |
| Retired as a pro-hockey player after the season. | |||
| Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast | |||
| 1986-87 | $225,000 | $661,596 | |
| As General Manager of the New York Rangers and coach for part of the season. Was to earn bonuses of $10,000 for winning the first round of the playoffs, plus $20,000 for winning the second round, plus $30,000 for the third round, plus $50,000 for winning the Stanley Cup. The Rangers were eliminated in the first round and he didn't earn any bonus. Also didn't get $35,000 in additiona bonuses based on the team's performance during the season. | |||
| Source(s): La Presse | |||
| 1987-88 | $230,000 | $652,429 | |
| As General Manager of the New York Rangers. Was to earn a bonus of $5,000 if the team got 90 point in the regular season; another $5, 000 for 100 points; and $10,000 if they finished first in the league. Was to earn bonuses of $10,000 for winning the first round of the playoffs, plus $20,000 for winning the second round, plus $30,000 for the third round, plus $50,000 for winning the Stanley Cup. The Rangers got 82 points and did not make the playoffs so he didn't earn any bonus. | |||
| Source(s): La Presse | |||
| 1988-89 | $235,000 | $640,457 | |
| As General Manager of the New York Rangers and coach for part of the season. | |||
| Source(s): La Presse | |||
| 1990-91 | $0 | $0 | 907 |
| Was earning less than $10,500 annually in NHL pension. | |||
| Source(s): Book: Hockey - A People's History | |||
| 1991-92 | $350,000 | $828,291 | 126 |
| Signed a five-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning to be their General Manager. | |||
| Source(s): Tampa Bay Times | |||
| 1992-93 | $350,000 | $803,912 | 224 |
| As General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. | |||
| Source(s): Tampa Bay Times | |||
| 1993-94 | $350,000 | $780,874 | 341 |
| As General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. | |||
| Source(s): Tampa Bay Times | |||
| 1994-95 | $350,000 | $761,065 | 217 |
| As General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. | |||
| Source(s): Tampa Bay Times | |||
| 1995-96 | $350,000 | $740,287 | 501 |
| As General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning. | |||
| Source(s): Tampa Bay Times | |||
| 2020-21 | $0 | $0 | 1276 |
| He receives a $C 32,600/year pension from the NHL. Unclear when the pension kicked in. | |||
| Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast | |||
| Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the NHL played a 56-game season instead of 82. Base salaries were not pro-rated but 10% of $0 was deferred and payable in three yearly payments, starting in October 2022, without interests. Escrow for the season was increased to 20% and performance bonuses were pro-rated (amounts and targets to reach). | |||
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Career Total: US $5,108,662 (In today's dollars: US $20,656,876) NHL Rank: 1949 (In today's dollars: 1107) |
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