If things keep trending in their current direction, Utah Hockey Club forward Dylan Guenther will soon receive a check big enough to fund a lifetime of Costco shopping. He could even replace his broken inflatable hot tub with a nice in-ground one.
Both Guenther and teammate Logan Cooley are on track to max out their performance bonuses this season. Guenther is eligible to receive an extra $850,000, while Cooley’s potential is $2.5 million. That would be in addition to the $874,000 and $950,000 that they respectively make.
Here’s how it works.
There are two lists of performance bonuses that players on entry-level deals can negotiate into their contracts. Both are granted if the player hits the specified milestones in a season.
According to PuckPedia, Cooley has the level “A” and “B” bonuses in his contract, while Guenther has just level “A.” Josh Doan, who is also on an entry-level contract, does not have any performance bonuses in his deal.
See the full list of level “A” and “B” bonuses on the PuckPedia website.
Dylan Guenther’s potential performance bonuses
For each level “A” bonus Guenther hits this season, he’ll receive $212,500. There’s a maximum of four bonuses per player, meaning the most he could receive in bonus money is $850,000.
He has already hit one bonus: 20 goals. If the season were to end today, he’d also receive bonuses for being:
- Among the top six forwards on the team in time on ice
- Among the top three forwards on the team in +/-
- At more than 0.73 points per game
He’s also on pace to cross the 60-point threshold, which would give him another bonus. Tallying 35 assists would also check a box, though he’s currently on pace for 31.
It’s situations like these that make certain calls even more important than they appear. When Guenther’s goal against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday was controversially disallowed, it decreased his points per game and his point total. If he misses either of those marks, he’ll almost certainly look back on this and similar situations with regret.
Last season, Guenther earned two bonuses for a total of $425,000. That’s because he finished with more than 0.73 points per game and he was sixth in ice time on the team, among forwards who played 42 games or more.
This season, its likely that he’ll walk away with the full $850,000.
Logan Cooley’s potential performance bonuses
The bonus amounts changed in 2022. Because Cooley signed his entry-level contract after that, he actually receives more than Guenther for each bonus. His level “A” bonuses are worth $250,000 each, with a cap at $1 million.
If the season were to end today, Cooley would receive the same bonuses as Guenther for time on ice, +/- and points per game. He’s also on pace to hit all the remaining statistical bonuses for goals, assists and points.
As mentioned, Cooley is also eligible for the level “B” bonuses. They’re much harder to hit, but they’re also worth a lot more money: $2.5 million. They all involve either being among the top 10 players in the NHL in specific statistical categories or winning individual awards.
It’s unlikely that Cooley will receive any level “B” bonuses, but he will likely earn the full $1 million for hitting four of the level “A” plateaus.
Last season, Cooley received $500,000 for hitting two bonuses: 20 goals and being named to the NHL’s all-rookie team.
Frequently asked questions — NHL performance bonuses
Q: Who pays the performance bonus money?
A: The team
Q: Does performance bonus money count against the salary cap?
A: Yes. It’s applied to the team’s salary cap the following season.
Q: Can any player negotiate for performance bonuses?
A: No. There are three types of players who can negotiate performance bonuses into their contracts:
- Players on entry-level contracts
- Players who are 35 years or older
- Players with 400 or more games of NHL experience who spent at least 100 days of the last year on injured reserve, and then came back and signed for one year.
Essentially, performance bonuses decrease the team’s risk when signing a player in any of those categories because it only has to pay him top dollar if he performs at expected levels.
Ian Cole, who’s 36 years old, has three performance bonuses written into the extension he signed in early March. If he plays 40 games, he’ll get a $50,000 bonus. Once he plays 50 games, he’ll get another $50,000, and playing his 65th game will earn him an extra $100,00.
