So you think there are big bucks in pro hockey? Check out the passage below from the Carolina Hurricanes website - it looks like there are much less $$$$ available in pro hockey that what many people think.

$40,000/yr in the AHL is downright paltry, but $30,000 is nice signing bonus that could be a down payment on a house... not an outright purchase as many people tend to think.

These three players are mid-range prospects at best, but it illustrates just how much less money is out there than what people think - there's more Kraft dinner being eaten in AHL apartments than what I thought!




RALEIGH, NC – Jason Karmanos, Vice President and Assistant General Manager for the 2006 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Tim Conboy, left wing Mike Angelidis and center Scott Kelman.

Conboy agreed to a one-year contract that will pay him $500,000 at the NHL level and $95,000 at the AHL level. Angelidis agreed to a three-year entry-level contract that will pay him $450,000 at the NHL level in 2006-07 and $475,000 at the NHL level in 2007-08 and 2008-09.

At the AHL level, it will pay him $40,000 in 2006-07, $45,000 in 2007-08 and $50,000 in 2008-09. He also receives a $30,000 signing bonus. Kelman agreed to a one-year contract that will pay him $450,000 at the NHL level and $40,000 at the American Hockey League level.

ya but the money they're making is still more then most people normally make at that age and you can still live well enough.

that's why it's still better to hold out for a scholarship if you are good enough. But I do agree, at that age, most people do not make $40,000 per year to start.

$40,000 US,=$45,000 CAN alittle more, plus your apartment is free and you play pro hockey for a living working 8 mths of the year,beats working in a factory 40 hrs a week.Pro you work a couple hours a day and if you can get a game or two in the show,you can make a quarter of what you earn all year.Best of all you stay in shape and play the game you love!!

Get an Education

Think outside the box

Definitely get the education. You're one incident away from losing your ability to play the game. Check out the story of the guy in the AHL with the promising career who lost an eye. Can't remember his name, but it's a tragic story that could happen to you.

i dont understand why this is such a paradox for everyone!

i think i am hearing from some people that because a kid is going to play some kind of junior hockey that school falls off the planet?

i expect that most kids will be going to school whether they plays hockey or not. if they get money from hockey for school then great but dont assume for a minute that junior hockey = no school!!

Well, said - I sense the same misconceptions as well - ever seen an OUA or AUAA university game? Its an OHL All-Star game every night!

...and its harder to get into a Canadian school academically than many of the D-1 U.S. schools!

Balancing school with hockey is the real juggling act. Some kids do it successfully. Others prioritize one at the expense of the other. Elite athletes who can still manage an A average have created the best scenario.

Correction. Unfortunately living expenses are actually NOT paid for. However, players do receive cash daily when on the road for food, etc. But then again, its for the love of the game, isnt it?

What's changed in the last 20 years is that kids used to play the game for what they could put into it - now, the first thing they (or more accurately their parents look for) is dollars and cents.

"What's in it for me" is the attitude now.

Fortunately, the elite levels of hockey tend to filter those types out before they are 18.