The NHL's booming business is delivering an unexpected bonus to its players.
Thanks to the league's strong financial performance in 2025-26, players are set to receive a full escrow refund, with one Edmonton Oilers superstar expected to collect the biggest payout, amounting to roughly $910,000.
For years, the NHL's escrow system has withheld a portion of every player's salary to ensure Hockey-Related Revenue (HRR) is split evenly between owners and players under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
If league revenues fell short of projections, owners kept some of that withheld money. But over the past two seasons, the opposite has happened as the NHL's revenues have soared to record levels.
As a result, players are expected to receive roughly $170 million in additional compensation for the 2025-26 season. That works out to about 5.5% of each player's salary, giving every player under contract an unexpected financial boost.
NHL analyst Kurt Badenhausen explained why the league's highest-paid stars are seeing the biggest rewards.
"The league's top earners are the biggest beneficiaries, but they also bear the biggest hit when league revenue comes in light. Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl had the highest 2025-26 salary of $16.5 million and will receive an additional $910,000 or so.
" Nathan MacKinnon , Igor Shesterkin , Auston Matthews , Mitch Marner and Mikko Rantanen , who all earned at least $15 million, are set for at least $825,000 in their pockets," Badenhausen reported.
As Badenhausen noted, the escrow system cuts both ways. In seasons when league revenues fall short, the NHL's biggest earners lose the most. But when the league sets financial records, those same stars receive the largest refunds.
Commissioner Gary Bettman believes the NHL's financial growth is far from slowing down.
"Every platform, every source of revenue is growing," Bettman said during his Stanley Cup press conference. "It's going to be even better next year because the new media deal in Canada kicks in."
The latest escrow refund is another sign that the NHL has fully recovered from its pandemic-era financial challenges.
With league revenues climbing and pandemic-related debt now behind it, the salary cap is expected to continue rising rapidly over the next several seasons. Escrow is also not expected to return next season, giving players even more confidence in the league's financial outlook.
That could have a significant impact on future contract negotiations. Elite players aren't simply factoring in annual salary-cap increases anymore; they're also recognizing that strong league revenues can boost their actual earnings beyond the value of their contracts.
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For general managers, that means negotiating extensions may become even more expensive. As the NHL's business continues to grow, so too will the asking price for the league's biggest stars.
