The 20 Richest Hockey Players on the Planet, According to Net Worth

Born in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, Fleury (nicknamed “Flower” for his French last name) is a professional goaltender. He was drafted as the first overall pick for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003 after playing at the Junior level in both Quebec and for Cape Breton. Fleury helped represent Canada in international championships on several occasions, proving his mettle as Top Goaltender and MVP that same year in the IIHF World Junior Championships. He’s since helped take Canada to the gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics, and has assisted the Penguins in their 2009 win of the coveted Stanley Cup. In 2017 he was selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft, helping them secure a winning start (he stopped 45 of 46 shots in their first game, enabling a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars). Still, he is only the 20th richest player, coming in at a net worth of a mere $50 million. You’ll find no pity over here Fleury, but consider just what lies ahead for the other 19...

And yet, this is nothing compared to some of the richest criminals of all time.

Malkin is a Russian-born hockey player who plays center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins (along with Crosby - another player on this list). Malkin began playing professionally in Russia before being drafted in 2004 by the Penguins. He represented Russia on the hockey world stage numerous times, including for the IIHF World U20 Championships (three as junior and four as senior). His ability to execute plays, among other feats, has secured him a spot as one of the best players in the NHL. His net worth is currently estimated at $50 million.

Now, it's one thing to get that much money; it's another thing to learn how to keep it and grow it. But this is just what the thriftiest millionaires and billionaires did.

Alfredsson is a Swedish professional hockey player who got his start playing for a Swedish domestic league. Drafted as #133 by the Ottawa Senators in the 1994 NHL draft, he now sits comfortably at number 18 of the world’s richest hockey players. Oh, and his net worth? $51 million.

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Jovanski, another Canadian born-and-bred hockey player, got his hockey legs in the city of his birth: Windsor. He was drafted in 1994 as the #1 pick by the Florida Panthers, but played for several other teams in the following years. He’s helped Canada compete on an international stage, including during the 1995 World Junior Championships, the 2004 World Cup, and the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he and his team medalled gold. None of this could hurt his net worth, and in fact, he earns the 17th spot on this list, with $53 million.

A departure from many of the players on this list, this retired Swedish-born player nevertheless holds many similarities with his peers. Forsberg played for several NHL teams in his 13 years with the league, including the since-rebranded Quebec Nordiques. He helped usher the Colorado Avalanche to two Stanley Cup wins in 1996 and 2001, and repped his country of birth in several international competitions, including the 1994 and 2006 Olympic Games. (We’ll try not to hold that against you, Forsberg.) He was inducted into the IIHL Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. His net worth is a comfortable $54 million.

Hailing from Halifax, this East Coaster earned the nickname “The Next One” (echoing another Great). He became such a highly-anticipated draft pick in 2005, that the Draft Lottery that year was referred to as the Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes. Having lived up to the expectations with numerous accomplishments, Crosby was also nominated for Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list. But wait. That’s not all. An endorsement deal with Reebok (the richest in NHL history with the brand, by the way), was one of several such deals that includes Bell, Tim Hortons and Gatorade. These have all helped Crosby lay the groundwork for his net worth, which at present – and likely far from over – rests at a humbling $55 million.

Vancouver-born Kariya is a retired player who joined the NHL by way of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 1993. He spent his 15 seasons playing left wing, winning numerous accolades along the way. Kariya repped Canada on the world stage, helping win gold at the 2002 Olympic Games, 1994 World Championships, and the 1993 World Junior Championships. He was forced to retire following multiple concussions. Like Crosby, his net worth is estimated at $55 million.

The legendary Canadian goaltender, who retired in the 2014-2015 season, made $55 million as a player. He's now assistant general manager for the St. Louis Blues, continuing his passion in a different capacity. Well played, Brodeur. Well played.

Another very successful Canadian-born player, Messier hails from Edmonton, Alberta, where his NHL career also began later in life (1979 to be exact). He played for 25 years with the Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks, combined, and he has the unique distinction of captaining two distinct teams to title. He was named an All-Star 15 times and was entered into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. We are noticing a pattern here. His net worth is a cool $55 million.

Born in Simcoe, Ontario, Blake joined the NHL via the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. He stayed on with the Kings for 12 seasons before moving around to other NHL teams including the Colorado Avalanche. He made several All-Star teams, helped the Kings and Avalanche win the Stanley Cup (in 1993 and 2001, respectively), and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014, among many other accomplishments. All this is to say, these efforts contributed to his net worth of $60 million.

In his 20 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, the Lidström made a lot of money: to the tune of $60 million. He retired in 2012.

Thornton currently plays for the San Jose Sharks. Hockey has already earned the Canadian $60 million... and counting.

Born in Burnaby, B.C., Sakic was drafted in 1987 by the Quebec Nordiques - a team that has since rebranded as the Colorado Avalanche. Sakic spent his entire career playing for the franchise, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Canada Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. His net worth is valued at $60 million.

Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Iginla was drafted to the NHL in 1995 as the #11 pick, by the Dallas Stars. Before he could debut there however, the Stars traded him to the Calgary Flames where he stayed for 17 seasons. He has won the Lester B. Pearson MVP, leading the league in goals and points. He helped Canada win championships in the 1996 World Juniors, 1997 World Championships, and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, as well as gold medals in 2002 and 2010. All this has been good for business for Iginla, whose net worth is $60 million.

This Russian-born player joined the NHL in 2001 with the Atlanta Thrashers, before playing for the New Jersey Devils in 2010. During the 2012-2013 lockout he played for Russia’s KHL as well as playing internationally for Russia, before returning to the NHL in 2018. He won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for being the league’s top scorer, also setting new records for most shootout goals and most game-deciding shootout goals. All this has been good for business for Kovalchuk, whose net worth lands at a comfy $60 million.

Hailing from Russia, the Ovechkin was drafted into the NHL in 2004 with the Washington Capitals, where he remains today. He also has represented Team Russia in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and 2010 Winter Olympics. During the 2017-2018 playoffs, he helped the Capitals win the Stanley Cup, which has only bolstered his net worth. It, by the way, rounds to a nice $60 million.

Chris Pronger was born in Dryden, Ontario in 1974. He was drafted in 1993, eventually playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers as well as Team Canada in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics. There he helped the team win a gold. In this time, he earned $65 million.

In a career that spanned from 1987 to 2003, the man known as the Russian Rocket made a nice $70 million.

In the 17 seasons that he played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Lemieux made $150 million. Retired since 2006, the Canadian is considered one of the greatest players ever.

Widely considered to have been the greatest player in the history of hockey, Wayne Douglas Gretzky holds an amazing 61 records as a player, including being the only NHL player in history to achieve 200 points in a single season (a feat he accomplished four times). He retired in 1999 with the nickname ‘The Great One’ and his #99 jersey was retired league-wide. He was the only person to receive the honour at the time. Overall, Gretzky made $200 million from the sport. And something tells us he isn’t done.