Players on the Calgary Roughnecks’ active roster have salaries based on experience and performance.
The franchise usually gives one-year contracts that rise from year to year. Top players can negotiate a longer and more lucrative contract.
The NLL has a salary cap. However, the Calgary franchise can provide top-ups from a discretionary bonus pool. Read on for the details.
How We Calculate Salaries
NLL franchises don’t publish player salaries. However, some details across the league leak out during annual negotiations between the NLL and the players association.
Our calculations are based on salary levels reported in 2018. We’ve adjusted them upwards to represent further gains by the player association since then.
We also know that each club can use a $30K bonus pool to top up player salaries above the agreed ceiling.
The Roughnecks don’t have to pay out the full $30K. But they must distribute at least $16K each season.
How Much Do Players Earn At Calgary Roughnecks?
Rookies at Calgary Roughnecks receive a base contract of about US$13K. Their second year brings an increased contract of $15-$21K.
The minimum for veterans is $19K. The maximum base contract for the most valued veterans is $37K.
The average salary across the Roughnecks’ playing roster is $25K.
Apart from the average, the above numbers are rounded to the nearest one thousand dollars. The raw numbers are in the table below.
The figures we’ve listed may seem low for hard-working athletes. But bear in mind that the NLL season is about six months long.
I’ve included the pro-rata monthly equivalent in the table below.
| Status | Annual (US$) | Monthly (US$) |
| Rookies | 12,408 | 2,068 |
| Second-year minimum | 14,824 | 2,471 |
| Second-year maximum | 20,215 | 3,369 |
| Veteran minimum | 18,433 | 3,072 |
| Veteran maximum | 36,626 | 6,104 |
Franchise Tag Exception
There is one exception where a player’s base contract can be above the maximum we specified above.
Every club can offer what’s known as a franchise tag to one player per season.
It ties the player from switching to another team. Players who are over 33 can reject the Tag.
The Roughnecks offered the franchise tag to Curtis Dickson, but Dickson rejected it. So, the Calgary side traded him to the San Diego Seals.
Here is a summary of all the wage tiers:
Which Roughnecks Are The Top Earners?
Zach Currier had an outstanding season during which he set a league record with 62 turnovers. He also got 200 loose ball recoveries, being just one of three players to do so.
He was rightly awarded the NLL Transition Player Of The Year. As such, he made the All-NLL first team.
The Roughnecks gave him a two-year contract before the start of the new season. We expect that the star veteran is on the maximum base contract of nearly $37K.
We also expect that the franchise topped that up with extra funds from the bonus pool.
Goalie Christian Del Bianco signed a two-year deal at the same time. He’s one of the best net tenders in the business. We expect him to be on the maximum and a top-up too.
Which Young Roughnecks Players Are Rising In Earnings?
Tanner Cook was selected in the 2020 draft. Unfortunately for the young forward, the pandemic ensured he didn’t play a competitive game that season.
So, last year was his rookie season and he set about making up for lost time. He went on a scoring streak that certainly caught the eye.
The Riggers gave him a one-year deal in November 2022. As this is now his second season, his salary falls between about $15K to $20K.
We expect him to be on the higher end at about $18K.
Which Players Are Paid The Least?
Seth Van Schepen was first pick for the Roughnecks in the 2022 Draft.
His salary is about $12,500K in his rookie year.
But he isn’t the lowest-paid player at the club.
Players on the practice squad earn about one to two thousand dollars per season.
Roughnecks In The PLL
Some players finish their season in the NLL and then play outdoors in the Premier Lacrosse League.
Zach Currier extended his income in the summer by playing in the PLL for the Waterdogs Lacrosse Club.
Eli Salama has played with Chrome, while Charlie Bertrand has played for Chaos.
If you’re interested in how much additional income that brings, check out our overview of what players earn in the PLL.
Other Employment Inside And Outside The Lacrosse World
NLL players are employed by their franchise for about six months of the year.
They also don’t train full-time during the season. The standard schedule is to travel for training on Thursday evening or Friday morning.
That allows Roughnecks players to work alongside their playing career.
Mitch Wilde is an advanced care paramedic in Durham.
Reece Callies is a fleet coordinator at a machinery manufacturer. He also does part-time lacrosse coaching.
How Do Calgary Roughnecks Afford Player Wages?
We’ve only covered a few of the players, but there are plenty more on the books.
You can see the current Calgary Roughnecks roster here.
You may be wondering if gate receipts are enough to cover player wages now and in the future.
Fans understandably get worried about whether the franchise owners can withstand financial pressures in uncertain times.
Check out our review of the owners of the Calgary Roughnecks.
