How much money does the Stanley Cup winner get? How the NHL Playoff Fund is divided
NHL players get performance-related pay from the Playoff Player Fund in the postseason, which is negotiated as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL players aren’t paid their regular salaries. Instead, their regular-season earnings are supplemented by what’s known as the Playoff Player Fund, which offers them postseason earnings that depend on how their team performs.
How much is the Playoff Player Fund worth?
The existence of the Playoff Player Fund is set out in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the NHL and the players’ union, the NHLPA. Last extended in 2020, the CBA includes a steadily increasing fund which this season amounts to a total of $22 million.
Per The Athletic’s Chris Johnston, the distribution of the 2025 Playoff Player Fund breaks down as follows:
- Presidents’ Trophy winner: $859,375
- First Round loser: $429,687
- Second Round loser: $859,375
- Conference Final loser: $2,062,500
- Stanley Cup Final loser: $3,781,250
- Stanley Cup winner: $6,539,375
If split among 27 players on a team’s roster, The Athletic adds, the Stanley Cup winners’ prize-money allocation of just over $6.5 million equates to a $242,000 pay-out per man.
A final that will be repeated this year
The Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers are facing off again in the Stanley Cup Finals in a best-of-seven series that promises plenty of excitement.
The first two games took place in Edmonton, followed by the next ones in Florida, with all games starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Panthers are aiming to win the championship for the first time in franchise history, while the Oilers look to reclaim the title they last won in 1990. This rematch of last season has fans on the edge of their seats, with both teams battling for hockey’s ultimate prize.
Panthers vs Oilers: start time, how to watch
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wed. 4 jun | 8:00 p.m. | Rogers Place, Edmonton |
| 2 | Fri. 6 jun | 8:00 p.m. | Rogers Place, Edmonton |
| 3 | Mon. 9 jun | 8:00 p.m. | Amerant Bank Arena, FL |
| 4 | Thu. 12 jun | 8:00 p.m. | Amerant Bank Arena, FL |
| 5* | Sat. 14 jun | 8:00 p.m. | Rogers Place, Edmonton |
| 6* | Tue. 17 jun | 8:00 p.m. | Amerant Bank Arena, FL |
| 7* | Fri. 20 jun | 8:00 p.m. | Rogers Place, Edmonton |
The Stanley Cup Final is set.
— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 30, 2025
See you soon! pic.twitter.com/9PBXLxRTkY
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