Among the highest-paid NHLers behind Matthews are Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mitch Marner.
Over 2,800 athletes are competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, and only one reportedly brings in more money annually than Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews.
According to Forbes, Matthews, who's also captaining Team USA in the tournament, is the second-highest paid athlete participating in the Olympics, behind Eileen Gu, a US-born freestyle skier who's now representing China.
Gu brought in an astounding $23 million last year, according to Forbes, with a majority coming from endorsement deals with Chinese brands Anta, Bosideng, Mengniu Dairy and Luckin Coffee.
Matthews, on the other hand, is making over $15 million this season from the Maple Leafs, plus $5 million in endorsements, reports Forbes.
"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.
"The latest addition to his sponsor stable is Mito Red Light, joining brands such as Nike, Prime sports drinks and Uber Eats."
Edmonton Oilers forward and German-born Leon Draisaitl has the highest total salary among NHLers at $16.5 million this year, but likely doesn't bring in as many sponsorships as Matthews.
Matthews' teammate, William Nylander, is the seventh-highest-paid NHL player at the Olympics, bringing in a whopping $13.5 million this season.
Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes (from five high-profile sports) at the Olympics also includes alpine skier Lindsay Vonn ($8 million), snowboarder Chloe Kim ($4 million), and figure skater Ilia Malinin ($700,000).
Matthews — along with plenty of other NHLers— is participating in their first-ever Olympic Winter Games after the NHL took a massive layoff from the tournament. The 28-year-old and Team USA arrived in Milan, Italy, on Sunday morning and have practiced twice.
Their first game is on Thursday against Latvia at 3:10 p.m. ET (9:10 p.m. local).
Nylander, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Team Sweden will play their first game of the tournament on Wednesday against the host nation, Italy, at 3:10 p.m. ET (9:10 p.m. local).