The life of a professional athlete is an illustrious one. Players spend their lives working day in and day out to make it as a pro and get the sweet rewards that come with it. Money, houses, cars, parties, you name it. NHL players are no exception to the rule. Being a player in the NHL comes with its benefits, with many of the players being millionaires and those who aren’t still well above middle class. Many players use their wealth responsibly, investing it and/or putting it back to their families as well as hiring financial advisors to help them handle it. Some don’t however, as that illustrious lifestyle proves too sweet a drink to take in moderation. These are ten NHL players that went broke and lost it all.
10. Darren McCarty
Drafted in 1992 by the Red Wings, McCarty played for two teams in his career, Detroit and Calgary. In his 15 seasons as an NHLer, he would play 758 games in which he scored 127 goals and tallied 161 assists. McCarty was more of an enforcer than a goal scorer, tallying up 1,477 penalty minutes in his career. He won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings as well as an NHL foundation player award. It was his penalties however that would define his career, as well as his financial status.
McCarty would actually file for bankruptcy while still playing in the NHL. He filed while playing with the Flames, citing the lockout as the reason he was bankrupt. While this certainly played a part it was revealed that McCarty had over 6 million dollars of debt but only had less than 2 million dollars worth of assets. McCarty claimed to owe money to credit card companies, insurance companies, friends, bills such as utilities and mortgages, law firms, and even his NHL pension. He’s on record saying he owed 185,000 dollars to a casino as well as 490,000 dollars in business loans. Given that he was only making 800,000 dollars a year in the NHL, it’s safe to say his salary couldn’t keep up with his spending.
9. Sergei Gonchar
Gonchar was drafted in 1992 by the Washington Capitals. He played for Washington, Pittsburgh, Ottawa, Dallas, and Montreal in his career. He retired in 2015 with a total of 1,301 games played, 220 goals scored and 591 assists. He would win a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009. According to CapFriendly, Gonchar would earn an estimated total of 68 million dollars in his career, with his highest contract being 25 million per year with the Penguins.
However, 68 million was not enough to keep Gonchar out of financial trouble as he would be one of nineteen NHL players caught up in a situation involving former financial advisor Phil Kenner. Gonchar invested 25 million to Kenner for golf courses and condos only to have that money stolen by Kenner’s real estate investor. Kenner has since gone to prison for fraud, but that doesn’t change the damage he did to players such as Gonchar.
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8. Mike Vernon
Vernon was drafted in 1981 by the Calgary Flames and also played with San Jose, Detroit, and Florida in his 20-season career. He would play 782 games of which he won 385 with a goals against average of 2.98 and a save percentage of .889. He would earn an estimated 24 million dollars in his career, his highest contract being a 5.45 million dollar contract across two years with the Red Wings.
Vernon was unfortunately one of 18 NHL players caught up in a scandal involving former Lightning owner Len Barrie. These 18 players invested money into an attempt at a golf resort on Bear Mountain. The resort would quickly go bankrupt and Vernon unfortunately took a lot of the impact, having invested 9.6 million of the 13 million invested.
7. Derek Sanderson
Sanderson is an example of how a high-party lifestyle can catch up to someone. Making his debut in 1965, he played until 1978 with Boston, New York Rangers, Vancouver, St Louis, and Pittsburgh. In 598 games played, he scored 202 career goals and tallied 250 career assists. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy as well as two Stanley Cups with the Bruins. Sanderson was a tough guy third-liner who had a very well-known reputation throughout the league.
Sanderson was known as a partier. Strip clubs, alcohol, drugs, prescription drug abuse, you name it, Sanderson was involved in it. On top of spending money on all of these habits, Sanderson would make multiple bad business investments such as a nightclub named Bachelors III. These decisions would cost Sanderson millions, and by the end of his career, he was homeless living in a park with crippling drug addiction. His poor health would lead to multiple hip surgeries, cancer, and even two heart attacks all of which Sanderson survived. The story has a happy ending though, as Sanderson would kick his addictions and become a beloved sportscaster.
6. Chris Nilan
Nilan went by the nickname “Knuckles” throughout his career. A brawler through and through, Nilan played from 1979 to 1992 for Montreal, Boston, and the Rangers. In 688 games played he scored 110 goals and tallied 115 assists as well as racked up 3,043 penalty minutes. He holds the record for the highest average penalty minutes per game at 4.42 minutes. Due to his play style, Nilan suffered many injuries throughout his career.
Nilan also suffered from addiction. He used heroin frequently throughout his career as well as alcohol and prescription drugs. His issues did not get fully fixed until 2009 when he was arrested for shoplifting. At this point Nilan was at rock bottom, suffering heavily from his addictions as well as lack of funds. Nilan would turn it around though, becoming a radio show host for a while.
5. Theo Fleury
Another victim of substance abuse, Fleury was drafted in 1987 by the Calgary Flames. He would play for the Flames, the Avalanche, the Rangers, and the Blackhawks in his career. When he retired in 2003 he had played 1,084 games, scored 455 goals and tallied 633 assists. He would win the Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989. However, it was not by his own choice that ended his career in 2003.
Fleury struggled with substances on and off throughout his career, most heavily coming during his time with the Rangers. His abuse would reflect in his hockey as he became easily agitated and even fought the Sharks’ mascot at one point. He would be suspended after signing with the Blackhawks for violating the NHL’s substance abuse program. Chicago would force him into AA in an attempt to help him, but it would prove to be fruitless as Fleury would fall off the wagon and get into a drunken bar brawl and earn himself another suspension. He would be suspended once again at the end of the season, effectively ending his career. He would attempt a comeback in 2009, which some critics believe was to pay his child support and business debts, but would ultimately be cut in training camp resulting in him officially announcing his retirement. He has since released a book and dedicated his life to helping others struggling with abuse.
4. Slava Voynov
A two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Kings, the sky was the limit for the breakout defenseman. Drafted in 2008 by LA, Voynov wouldn’t make his debut until 2012. He would play 190 games, scoring 18 goals and tallying 63 assists in his brief 4-year career. He signed a 25 million dollar-a-year contract with the Kings heading into the 2013-14 season and it seemed like he was on his way to becoming one of the premiere defensemen in the NHL.
It all came crashing down on Voynov though when he was arrested and spent two months in jail for felony domestic abuse. It was reported that he punched his wife in the jaw, choked her, and kicked her while on the ground. Voynov was suspended indefinitely by the NHL and deported back to Russia. He would face up to nine years in prison if found guilty. Voynov would plead no contest and be sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years probation. He would then be released but detained again by ICE for an immigration trial. Rather than wait, Voynov simply elected to return to Russia, and his contract with the Kings was terminated. He currently plays for Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL.
3. Bobby Orr
One of the most iconic players in NHL history, Orr was one of the league’s first superstars, scoring one of the most famous goals of all time. Orr played from 1966 to 1979. He spent most of his career with the Bruins but played his last two seasons in Chicago. In 657 games played he scored 270 career goals, and tallied 645 career assists. He won the Art Ross trophy twice, the Ted Lindsay Award, the Lester Patrick Trophy, the Calder Trophy, the Hart Memorial trophy twice, two Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe trophies, and a whooping eight Norris trophies. He was one of the highest-paid players of his time.
Unfortunately, Orr would fall victim to a bad agent, as did many others before him. Orr’s agent, the infamous Alan Eagleson, cost Orr quite a bit of money and darn near bankrupted him. Eagleson illegally embezzled money from his clients, costing Orr to have millions in debt for legal fees, back taxes, and accounting fees as Eagleson kept the money for himself rather than pay them. Eagleson also cost Orr nearly 25 million dollars when he neglected to tell Orr about an offer from the Bruins that would’ve seen him earn 18% of the franchise’s earnings.
2. Doug Harvey
Another legendary defenseman in the NHL, Harvey started his career in 1947 and played until 1969. He played for the Canadiens (where he spent most of his career), the Rangers, the Red Wings, and the Blues. He won six Stanley Cups, all with Montreal, as well as seven Norris Trophies. He played 1,113 games, scored 88 goals, and tallied 452 assists. His number has been retired by Montreal and lies in the rafters of the Bell Centre.
Sadly, Harvey struggled with alcoholism and mental health after he quit playing hockey. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Harvey struggled to keep his finances and his life in order. He spent his entire post-playing life in a train car parked at Connaught Park Racetrack. His alcoholism never improved and he would unfortunately pass away from cirrhosis of the liver. Harvey is a legend of the game, it’s sad he didn’t see a better end.
1. Brian Spencer
Nicknamed “Spinner” Brian’s story is an interesting one. He began playing in 1969 with Toronto and would play until 1980. He would play with Toronto, Pittsburgh, the New York Islanders and Buffalo. He would bounce between the NHL and the AHL a lot in his career. He played 553 games, scored 80 goals, and tallied 143 assists. When he made his NHL debut, he had called his father to watch the game. The TV station, however, was airing a Vancouver game instead. This enraged Brian’s father and he stormed the TV station with a gun demanding they air the Toronto game. This would lead to a standoff with the RCMP, where Brian’s father was killed.
This is believed to have been what kickstarted Spencer’s troubles. He would begin using drugs and eventually went from a scorer to an enforcer. His career numbers would continue to slip until he retired in 1980. His post-hockey life would fare no better as he submersed himself into alcohol and drugs. He would be arrested for a murder charge which he was eventually acquitted from. Despite intervention from friends and family, Brian would not be able to turn his life around and he would be shot and killed in a drug deal gone wrong. Had his father not stormed the studio in rage, maybe Brian never have turned to a life of sorrow, but sadly he would be known as a former player who truly lost it all.
