Ever wonder how much money NHL commissioner Gary Bettman makes in a year? Chris Botta of the Sports Business Journal did some digging and attained this information via the NHL’s public tax filing for the 2011-2012 year:
Bettman’s base salary for the 2011-12 season was $6,395,521. Payment defined as other compensation was $1,816,628. He also received $65,795 in deferred compensation and $28,800 in benefits. By comparison, the salary of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is close to $30 million, according to that league’s most recent tax return. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, whose salary is no longer publicly available through tax filings, is believed to make more than $20 million annually. NBA Commissioner David Stern’s salary has never been made public.”
The NHL has set record total revenues for seven straight years, leading to Bettman’s salary increase. Bringing in over $8.3 million in the 2011-2012 year, his salary reached the highest in his tenure, and that number can only be expected to increase. Here’s how his salary stacks up against the rest of the NHL execs:
So how does Commissioner Bettman’s salary compare to those of the top NHL Players? The folks over at Puck Daddy compiled a list of the top 15 2013-2014 salaries including Bettman’s:
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators $14 million
Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins $12 million
Zach Parise, Minnesota Wild $12 million
Ryan Suter, Minnesota Wild $12 million
Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes $9.25 million
Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals $9 million
Brad Richards, New York Rangers $9 million
Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner $8.3 million
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins $8 million
Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning $8 million
Marian Hossa, Chicago Blackhawks $7.9 million
Rick Nash, New York Rangers $7.8 million
Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks $7.65 million
Mike Richards, Los Angeles Kings $7.6 million
Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wings $7.5 million
Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins $7.5 million
