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Hockey Fortune: $5,100,662

Description

Phil Esposito’s net worth / earnings / salary history: Earned US $5,100,662 (US $20,085,757 in today's dollars), ranking #1859 in NHL / hockey career earnings.

Birthdate: February 20, 1942
Country of birth: Canada
Salary History - Phil Esposito
All amounts in US$ unless otherwise noted.
Season   Earnings
(US$)
In today's
US$
Rank
1961-62 $1,362 $14,327
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 $59,553
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 $101,354
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 $109,756
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 $155,020
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 $169,640
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 $176,274
$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 $231,429
Source(s): La Presse
1970-71 $27,000 $218,671
Estimated minimum earnings based on documented salary for 1969-70 and 1971-72
Source(s): HockeyZonePlus
1971-72 $100,000 $776,488
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 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 $751,793
Source(s): La Presse
1973-74 $100,000 $708,108
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 $637,599
Source(s): La Presse
1975-76 $200,000 $1,168,339
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 $300,000 according to La Presse, $335,000 according to another edition of La Presse, and $375,000 according to The Sporting News.)
Source(s): The New York Times / Book: The Hot Line
1976-77 $400,000 $2,209,805
(Earned $300,000 according to The Sporting News and $250,000 according to La Presse.)
Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast
1977-78 $325,000 $1,685,860
(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
1978-79 $400,000 $1,927,947
(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 $1,732,709
(Earned $275,000 according to The Sporting News.)
Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast
1980-81 $400,000 $1,526,028
Retired as a pro-hockey player after the season.
Source(s): Phil Esposito on Cam & Strick podcast
1986-87 $225,000 $645,379
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 $636,437
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 $624,759
As General Manager of the New York Rangers and coach for part of the season.
Source(s): La Presse
1991-92 $350,000 $807,989 121
Signed a five-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning to be their General Manager.
Source(s): Tampa Bay Times
1992-93 $350,000 $784,208 218
As General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Source(s): Tampa Bay Times
1993-94 $350,000 $761,733 338
As General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Source(s): Tampa Bay Times
1994-95 $350,000 $742,410 217
As General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Source(s): Tampa Bay Times
1995-96 $350,000 $722,142 499
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).
Career Total: US $5,100,662
(In today's dollars: US $20,085,757)

NHL Rank: 1859
(In today's dollars: 1064)

Contract(s) (click to enlarge)