The Relationship between Team Payroll and Team Performance in the National Hockey League

ABSTRACT. The National Hockey League (NHL) is in serious financial trouble. More than half of the 30 teams lost money during the 2002-03 season. Player salaries have increased dramatically over the last decade and payroll costs account for the majority of total operating costs. This paper analyzes how team payroll affects team performance. Linear Regression analysis is used to determine the effect of payroll on performance. A Granger Causality test is performed using payroll and performance data from the 1998-99 to 2003-04 seasons. No conclusive evidence is found that supports the common belief that payroll can be used to predict a team’s success. I