How much do players in the British ice hockey top flight, the Elite League get paid? How much do Manchester Storm players get paid? What other benefits do they get and why would a hockey player, choose to play in the UK?
Average salaries are believed to be in the range of £12,500 to £47,000 for players in the Elite League. There are other benefits however, mainly that the the league does not play excessive amounts of games, travel between teams for matches is short and many cities in the UK are desirable places to live.
How much do Manchester Storm players get paid?
Its a tricky, sensitive question and as a society we are guarded about letting people know how much we earn. It’s also a very relative, question insofar as a lot of money to some people, is not a lot to others. Let’s be clear however, compared to the big leagues (NHL and KHL), the UK does not pay that well.
In 2017, Omar Pacha, the then coach of the Machester Storm, went on a Canadian radio show. On the show, he explained that players in the Elite League earned approximately $17,000 to $65,000. This equates to roughly £12,500 to £47,000 (based on exchange rates and whether he was talking about Canadian or US dollars will make a small difference).
The figures check out and are likely to have remained roughly the same in recent years. Given what the teams in the Elite league turnover financially and the costs of their overheads, these figures make sense.
How much do players get paid in other leagues?
Its hard to tell how much other players get paid in other leagues but in general the average salary seems roughly the same as the Elite League. there are two major exceptions to this. The NHL (North America) and the KHL (Russia). NHL salaries are in the hundreds of thousands of dollars a year (often millions) and the KHL average salaries are hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
From analysing the figures available (which are limited), it appears that there is little difference in the average salaries across the other European countries.
The main difference however is the maximum salary. The price that the big stars and highest earning players make is different and relatively low in the UK, compared to others.
What other benefits are there to playing in Manchester?
What brings a player to play in the Elite League or at the Manchester Storm then if it isn’t the money.
The UK is like the US and Canada
Whilst it is different, the UK is more similar culturally to the US and Canada than most other European countries. It is easier for players to quickly fit into their surroundings as a result. There is no need to learn another language and many home comforts are easily accessible.
Its also easy for those with families to come to too. The UK has a good school system and yes, that amazing NHS and free healthcare!
Manchester is a powerhouse
Manchester is a global Beta City. This is a city ranked just outside of the top 20 most influential cities in the world (“global cities” or “Alpha cities”). It is the joint second largest and most influential city in the UK.
On top of this, its cultural impact on the world has been immense and it has history in abundance. Once the most important city in the world at the height of the cotton trade, it is filled with relics of the past.
The city has a thriving food scene, eschewing the conventional Michelin star affairs, for fun, cutting edge and affordable food.
The potential for ice hockey in Manchester is also huge! It is arguably the sporting capital of the UK and renowned across the world thanks to its two dominant football (soccer) teams. Due to this it also boasts an excellent sporting infrastructure. In the days when the Manchester Storm played at the Manchester Arena, it set the attendance record for the UK (approximately 17,500).
If you want somewhere fun and exciting to live and play hockey, then look no further.
The league is player friendly
The Elite league is more tolerant of fighting than some of the other European leagues. Players often therefore feel more comfortable playing in the league. Many players complain that the leagues that are tougher on fighting often have worse injuries and more underhand techniques that are difficult and unpleasant to play against.
Compared to the gruelling 80+ games played in a season in the NHL, the Elite league only plays 55-65 games a year. Not only that but the travel time in the UK for games never exceeds 6 hours and is often served by a short flight!
University courses and other benefits
The Manchester Storm has long had a good relationship with Manchester’s (3!) universities and especially the University of Salford. It has before used this relationship to get its players free access to university courses.
The team takes a more holistic approach to its payment of players and will consider housing, cars and trips etc.
How much then do Manchester Storm players really get paid?
So how much do Manchester Strom players get paid. In monetary terms, probably somewhere between £12,500 and £47,000. There are so many other benefits that need to be taken into account however. The most important being that they are playing in one of the best cities in the world.
Check out the Manchester Storm website article on Omar Pacha’s interview here.
Check out our Manchester Storm page for more detail on the team,
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