logo
FlamesNation has no direct affiliation to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
CBA School: Exhibit 5 – Performance Bonuses
alt
Photo credit: Sergei Belski/USA Today Sports
Ryan Pike
Apr 29, 2020, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 29, 2020, 12:23 EDT
Comments
Last but not least in our tour of the CBA is Performance Bonuses. While players signing deals at age 35 or older have a lot of bonus leeway, players on entry level deals can only get Exhibit 5 bonuses or games played bonuses.
Let’s dive into Exhibit 5: Performance Bonuses.

Category A Bonuses

Category A bonuses are for clubs to pay to rookies for hitting thresholds or for performance excellence relative to the rest of the team – provided they were negotiated into the deal. Players can get a maximum of $212,500 for any specific category and it maxes out per season at $850,000 in the aggregate.
Forwards:
  • Top six forwards on team in either aggregate or average ice time (minimum 42 GP)
  • 20+ goals
  • 35+ assists
  • 60+ points
  • 0.73 points per game (minimum 42 GP)
  • Top three forwards on team in plus/minus (minimum 42 GP)
  • Named to All-Rookie Team
  • Selected to All-Star Game
  • Named All-Star Game MVP
Defensemen:
  • Top four defenders on team in either aggregate or average ice time (minimum 42 GP)
  • 10+ goals
  • 25+ assists
  • 40+ points
  • 0.49 points per game (minimum 42 GP)
  • Top three defenders on team in plus/minus (minimum 42 GP)
  • Top two defenders on team in blocked shots (minimum 42 GP)
  • Named to All-Rookie Team
  • Selected to All-Star Game
  • Named All-Star Game MVP
Goaltenders:
  • 1,800+ minutes played
  • Goals against average equal to or less than the median GAA of all goalies with 25+ GP
  • Save percentage equal to or greater than the median SV% of all goalies with 25+ GP
  • 20+ wins
  • Shutouts equal to or greater than the median shutouts of all goalies with 25+ GP
  • Named to All-Rookie Team
  • Selected to All-Star Game
  • Named All-Star Game MVP

Category B Bonuses

Here’s the gist of Category B: everybody on an ELC is eligible for bonuses from the league (which don’t count against the cap). But Category B bonuses from the team have to be negotiated into the contract (and they count against the cap). Teams and players can negotiate whatever bonuses they want to based on Category B awards, but the absolute maximum they can pay in any combination of Category B bonuses is $2 million per season.
Players can only negotiate club-paid bonuses for the following trophies: the Hart, Norris, Selke and Conn Smythe (determined by the PHWA), the Vezina (determined by GMs), and the Richard and Jennings (which are both pure statistical awards).
AWARDS:
The league gives bonuses to players on ELCs for the following award finishes:
Top 5 in balloting for the Hart, Norris, Vezina, Selke and Richard:
  • $250,000 for first
  • $200,000 for second
  • $150,000 for third
  • $100,000 for fourth
  • $50,000 for fifth
Top 3 in balloting for the Lady Byng:
  • $150,000 for first
  • $100,000 for second
  • $50,000 for third
Winning the Jennings is worth $50,000
Top 3 in balloting for the Calder:
  • $212,500 for first
  • $150,000 for second
  • $100,000 for third
A First Team All-Star nod is worth $100,000, a Second Team All-Star nod is worth $50,000
Winning the Conn Smythe is worth $250,000
STAT LEADERS:
There are also bonuses for finishing among the league leaders in a statistical category:
Forwards:
  • Top 10 in goals, assists or points ranges from $150,000 for first to $60,000 for 10th
  • Top 10 in points per game (42+ GP) ranges from $100,000 for first to $10,000 for 10th
Defensemen:
  • Top 10 in goals, assists or points ranges from $150,000 for first to $60,000 for 10th
  • Top 10 in points per game (42+ GP), average time on ice (42+ GP) or aggregate ice time ranges from $100,000 for first to $10,000 for 10th
Goalies:
  • Top 5 in goals against average (25+ GP), save percentage (25+ GP) or wins ranges from $150,000 for first to $110,000 for fifth

An illustration…

Here’s a snapshot of the bonuses negotiated into the contracts of first rounders signed from the past three NHL Drafts, and you can see the cascading nature of Category A and B bonuses as we slide into the later part of the first round:
Drafted
2019
2018
2017
1st
$2,850,000
$2,850,000
$2,850,000
2nd
$2,650,000
$2,650,000
$2,650,000
3rd
$2,500,000
$2,500,000
$2,500,000
4th
$2,500,000
$2,500,000
$1,973,333 (avg.)
5th
$1,550,000
$1,250,000 (avg.)
$2,850,000
6th
$850,000
$850,000
$850,000
7th
$850,000
$687,500 (avg.)
$850,000
8th
$850,000
$850,000
$566,667 (avg.)
9th
$850,000
$850,000
$816,667 (avg.)
10th
n/a
$733,333 (avg.)
$733,333 (avg.)
11th
$660,000 (avg.)
$537,500
$733,333 (avg.)
12th
n/a
$537,500
$537,500
13th
n/a
$537,500
$462,500 (avg.)
14th
n/a
$500,000 (avg.)
$500,000
15th
n/a
n/a
$450,000
16th
n/a
$425,000
$425,000
17th
$414,500
$400,000
$400,000
18th
$425,000 (avg.)
$375,000 (avg.)
$408,333 (avg.)
19th
$425,000
n/a
$708,333 (avg.)
20th
$212,500 (avg.)
$187,500 (avg.)
$283,333 (avg.)
21st
$0
$300,000
$350,000
22nd
$158,333 (avg.)
$350,000 (avg.)
$230,000
23rd
$0
$0
$212,500
24th
$141,667 (avg.)
n/a
$566,667 (avg.)
25th
$0
$212,500 (avg.)
$566,667 (avg.)
26th
$0
n/a
$462,500 (avg.)
27th
$0
$241,667 (avg.)
$0
28th
$0
n/a
$150,000 (avg.)
29th
$0
$0
$354,167 (avg.)
30th
n/a
$318,750 (avg.)
$2,220,833 (avg.)
31st
n/a
$0
$212,500 (avg.)
Obviously there’s year-to-year variations, but you get the idea.

Uncategorized

Breaking News