Gary Bettman, who has been NHL Commissioner since 1993, has accumulated the largest NHL fortune over the years with over $US 176 million, ahead of Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Jaromir Jagr. Since 2020-21, he ranks #1 in NHL accumulated earnings and that’s without knowing his salary for the first 12 years of his tenure. 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 dollar, in the late 1970s. In 1943, Red Dutton earned $US 13,505, the equivalent of $US 200,000 in today’s dollar. Frank Calder, who held the job for 26 years as the first NHL President, earned $US 10,812 ($US 169,609 today) on his last year in 1942-43 while he was paid $US 1,080 ($US 15,428 today) early on, in 1922.
Photo credit: Bridget Samuels