NHL | Detroit, MI
What a Detroit Red Wings contract really pays
Real 2026 take-home numbers for Detroit Red Wings players, from the NHL minimum up. Federal tax, Michigan tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.
At a glance
- Home games taxed by
- Michigan
- Top rate there
- 4.25%
- Rank for take-home
- 13 of 32
- NHL agent cap
- No union cap
- Road duty days (est.)
- 31%
- Taxing places visited
- 18
Take-home by salary
| Salary | Taxes | Fees | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| $850,000min | $350,418 | $67,500 | $432,082 (51%) |
| $2,000,000 | $875,317 | $125,000 | $999,683 (50%) |
| $5,000,000 | $2,244,386 | $275,000 | $2,480,614 (50%) |
| $10,000,000 | $4,526,460 | $525,000 | $4,948,540 (49%) |
Single, living in Michigan, max agent fee, 1% advisor fee, and $25K a year for a CPA and lawyer. Estimates for education.
Statement of earnings
$5M with the Detroit Red Wings
One season. Lives in Michigan. 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.
A local wage tax on pay earned at your home venue.
About 31% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 18 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
$2,480,614
You keep
50%
Detroit Red Wings pay questions
Do Detroit Red Wings players pay state income tax?+
Yes. Michigan taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 4.25%. There is also a local income tax at the venue.
How much does a NHL minimum salary player on the Detroit Red Wings take home?+
On the NHL minimum of $850,000, a single player living in Michigan keeps about $432,082 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 51%.
How does the Detroit Red Wings rank for take-home pay?+
At $5,000,000 a season, the Detroit Red Wings rank 13 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 Detroit Red Wings, the NHL, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.