Young NHL Players Are Getting Paid, And They Should

Griffin Hooper-Imagn ImagesGriffin Hooper-Imagn ImagesSep 21, 2026 7:09 PMPublished Sep 21, 2026 7:09 PMKen Campbell breaks down the changing financial landscape in the NHL and how it has impacted contract negotiations for young stars around the league.I'm old enough to remember when people could not fathom how a guy could make a million dollars a year playing hockey. But times change.We're in the middle of seismic change right now on the hockey landscape when it comes to salaries for young players.People may look at the extensions signed by the likes of Zeev Buium with the Vancouver Canucks or Ryan Leonard and Justin Sourdif with the Washington Capitals and wonder how players with such little experience can command such large salaries and long terms.Well, there are a lot of things at work. And I explain them in today's video column above.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.