Auston Taylour Matthews, an American professional ice hockey center and the Toronto Maple Leafs captain, has accumulated significant net worth from his NHL career.
Widely considered one of the best ice hockey players in the world, Matthews is the highest-paid NHL player, significantly contributing to his net worth of millions.
Belonging to an athletic family, Auston began playing baseball and hockey from a very young age.
Moreover, his passion for hockey grew after watching the local Phoenix Coyotes play, and he began his hockey journey playing in the 2010 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Kharkiv minor ice hockey team.
Matthews began his junior hockey career in 2012. He was drafted by the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips, but he opted to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program of the USHL.
He also played for the U.S. National U17 Team in the 2012 season. In his second season with the U.S. National U18 team, Matthews finished first in the league, scoring 116 points, breaking the National Team Development Program record of 102.
With his exceptional skills, Matthews started playing professionally for the Swiss National League A for ZSC Lions in late 2015 instead of continuing his American amateur or junior hockey career.
Talking about his earnings from his pre-NHL career, while Auston Matthews didn’t receive a salary while playing for USDP, he signed a one-year contract with ZSC Lions for the 2015-16 season.
Matthews likely earned around $1 million annually in the Swiss NLA, contributing to his net worth.
Auston Matthews Has Accumulated Significant Income From His NHL career!
Matthews’ net worth soared into the millions as his NHL career progressed.
After one season with ZSC Lions, Matthews began his professional journey with the NHL in year 2016.
The Toronto Maple Leafs selected him first overall in the 2016 NHL entry draft, making him the first American to be picked with the top pick since Patrick Kane in 2007.
Matthews signed a three-year $11,325,000 contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which included a $277,500 signing bonus and an average salary of $3,775,000.
Similarly, Matthews made his NHL debut for the Maple Leaf’s first game of the 2016-17 season on October 12, 2016, against the Ottawa Senators.
He scored four goals in the game, all against Senators’ goaltender Craig Anderson. This was considered the first time in modern NHL history that a player scored four goals in his debut.
With his rising popularity and success in the NHL, the Maple Leafs signed Matthews to a five-year contract extension worth $58,201,250.
This deal included a $54,500,000 signing bonus and a base average salary of $11,640,250, which significantly increased his net worth.
Auston has showcased exceptional hockey skills for nearly a decade, leading his team to several victories and winning numerous honorable titles.
Similarly, on August 23, 2023, Matthews signed a four-year $53,000,000 contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs, including $49,650,000 signing bonus and an average annual salary of $13,250,000.
Auston Matthews has accumulated around $25 million in salary, bonuses, and other income from his NHL career.
In addition to his NHL earnings, Matthews generates around $5 million annually from lucrative endorsement deals.
His sponsorship portfolio includes major brands like Nike, Prime sports drinks, RBC, Uber, and Fanatics.
Considering his earnings from his NHL career and endorsements, Auston Matthews has an estimated net worth of $30 million as of 2025, which may increase over time as his career progresses.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Auston Matthews was born on September 17, 1997, in San Ramon, California, to father Brian Matthews and mother Ema Matthews.
- He comes from an athletic family; his father, Brian, played college baseball, and his uncle Wes Matthews briefly played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.
- Auston has an older sister named Alexandria and a younger sister named Breyana. His mother is of Mexican descent.
- Auston represented the United States and won a gold medal in the 2014 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He also won two gold medals in the IIHF World U18 Championship.