The biggest NHL stars graced the Olympic stage in Milan-Cortina, fueled by a single mission of bringing glory to the country. After a breathtaking campaign through the prelims and playoffs, Team USA towered over the rest. Auston Matthews’ captaincy skills stood out.
Away from the rink, however, Matthews shone as one of the highest-paid athletes of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Auston Matthews Among the Top Five Highest-Paid Athletes at Milan-Cortina
Doubts loomed large as Matthews was declared Team USA’s captain for the 2026 Winter Olympic campaign. The reaction was markedly different from when Sidney Crosby assumed the charge for Team Canada. Qualms about Matthews’ competence to lead stem mainly from the unsuccessful 4 Nations Face-Off campaign and the Toronto Maple Leafs’ failure to land a Stanley Cup under his leadership.
Stakes were high for Matthews even before Team USA’s maiden game in Italy. The 28-year-old had to restore the community’s faith in him, not just as a hockey player, but as an effective leader who can pave the team’s way to success. With the United States’ cinematic gold medal feat to end the Olympics, Matthews can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Matthews feels pressure to perform at all times because of the hefty salary he commands. The 28-year-old forward is halfway through his $53 million contract, which has a cap hit of $13.2 million. Moreover, he has multiple sponsors like Nike, Prime sports drinks, Uber Eats, and Mito Red Light. It is hardly a surprise that he is second among the top five highest-paid athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics, according to Forbes.
With $20 million, Matthews has made a statement at Milan-Cortina, but still couldn’t clinch the number one spot; that honor belongs to freestyle skier Eileen Gu, who has surged ahead with $23 million. Despite that, Matthews remains a towering presence and one of the most profitable figures in the NHL right now.
“Matthews is the only player to have cracked $20 million in a season in the 15-year history of Forbes’ NHL earnings list–he also did it last year–and is among hockey’s most marketable stars, raking in an estimated $5 million off the ice annually on top of his four-year, $53 million playing contract,” Brett Knight and Justin Birnbaum wrote for Forbes.Â
The United States Women’s Hockey Team also features the highest-paid player at the women’s hockey tournament. Captain Hilary Knight, a five-time Olympic medalist, has an annual income just shy of $1 million. “Forbes estimates that the 36-year-old forward’s robust group of nine partnerships, including Chipotle, Hershey’s and Red Bull, has her income this year approaching $1 million.”
As jaw-dropping as Matthews’ hefty paycheck might be, it is the same thing that keeps him on his toes; the pressure to deliver is exacerbated for the Maple Leafs captain, and Matthews has to go the extra mile to justify his mammoth contract, inevitably.
