NHL | Denver, CO
What a Colorado Avalanche contract really pays
Real 2026 take-home numbers for Colorado Avalanche players, from the NHL minimum up. Federal tax, Colorado tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.
At a glance
- Home games taxed by
- Colorado
- Top rate there
- 4.40%
- Rank for take-home
- 9 of 32
- NHL agent cap
- No union cap
- Road duty days (est.)
- 31%
- Taxing places visited
- 22
Take-home by salary
| Salary | Taxes | Fees | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| $850,000min | $344,425 | $67,500 | $438,075 (52%) |
| $2,000,000 | $861,848 | $125,000 | $1,013,152 (51%) |
| $5,000,000 | $2,211,414 | $275,000 | $2,513,586 (50%) |
| $10,000,000 | $4,460,983 | $525,000 | $5,014,017 (50%) |
Single, living in Colorado, max agent fee, 1% advisor fee, and $25K a year for a CPA and lawyer. Estimates for education.
Statement of earnings
$5M with the Colorado Avalanche
One season. Lives in Colorado. Single.
Top federal rate is 37% on taxable income over $640,600. Reduced by a credit for tax paid to Canada.
1.45% on every dollar, plus 0.9% on pay over $200,000. No cap.
6.2% on the first $184,500 only.
Your home state taxes all of your pay, minus a credit for tax you paid other states.
About 31% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 22 taxing places your league visits.
Taken from the gross, before taxes. For team salary it is not deductible on your federal return.
Business manager, financial advisor, and similar percentage fees.
Multi-state returns, contract review, estate documents.
What you actually keep
$2,513,586
You keep
50%
Colorado Avalanche pay questions
Do Colorado Avalanche players pay state income tax?+
Yes. Colorado taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 4.40%.
How much does a NHL minimum salary player on the Colorado Avalanche take home?+
On the NHL minimum of $850,000, a single player living in Colorado keeps about $438,075 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 52%.
How does the Colorado Avalanche rank for take-home pay?+
At $5,000,000 a season, the Colorado Avalanche rank 9 of 32 NHL teams for what a player keeps, assuming he or she lives in the team's state. The top team on that list is the Dallas Stars.
KeepMyCheck is not affiliated with the Colorado Avalanche, the NHL, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.