NHL Salary Cap Questions > When are buyouts paid?
When are buyouts paid?
Asked Aug 28, 2023 by Jon P
When a team buys a player out, when does the player actually receive the money? Is it paid all at once when the buyout is completed, paid annually, or paid throughout each season the buyout period covers?
Answer
Aug 28, 2023
The buyout payments are paid each season of the buyout during the regular season, just like a regular NHL salary. So if a player has $1M of buyout payment coming for a year, it's paid during the season like any player who had a $1M salary. Since signing bonuses cannot be bought out, those are still paid on the date specified in the original contract.
