By Laura Woods, Contributor
Game One of the Stanley Cup finals was held on Monday, May 30, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Penguins took home the first win of the series, beating the San Jose Sharks 3-2. The teams meet again on Wednesday, June 1 for Game Two.
Approximately 2,000 tickets were sold for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final with the lowest-priced seats for Game One listed from $255 to $331. For Game Three on Saturday, June 4, the series moves to the SAP Center in San Jose, where tickets have been listed for up to $920.
The first game of the Stanley Cup finals was a clash between Pittsburgh Penguins stars like Sidney Crosby, Matt Murray, Ben Lovejoy, Nick Bonino and Phil Kessel and San Jose Sharks powerhouses like Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Martin Jones, Tomas Hertl and Paul Martin.
So, here's a look at the net worths of the highest-paid hockey players for each team in the 2016 Stanley Cup and how they stack up against each other.
Pittsburgh Penguins Net Worth
Sidney Crosby Net Worth: $45 Million
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has played in the NHL for 11 seasons -- all with the Penguins. Drafted right out of high school, he was the number one pick in the 2005 NHL Draft and became the youngest captain in NHL history in 2007. In addition to leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2009, he also won two gold medals as part of Canada's Ice Hockey team at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics.
Crosby's net worth is $45 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. His salary is currently $12 million per year, and in 2015 he also earned $4.5 million in endorsements with Gatorade, Rogers Communications, CCM, Tim Horton's, Upper Deck, Verizon and Frameworth -- making him one of the highest-paid players in the NHL.
Phil Kessel Net Worth: $14 Million
Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel has played in the NHL for 10 seasons -- one with the Penguins, six with the Toronto Maple Leafs and three with the Boston Bruins. This is Kessel's first trip to the Stanley Cup, but playing in championship games is nothing new to him, as he earned a silver medal as part of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team and also played on the team in the 2014 Olympic games.
Kessel's net worth is $14 million. Despite ultimately being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015, Forbes named him the ninth highest-paid player in the NHL for the 2014-2015 season, after signing an eight-year $64 million contract extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013.
Matt Murray Net Worth: Unknown
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray is finishing up his first year in the NHL with a trip to the Stanley Cup. The star rookie had his first NHL shutout in his ninth pro game, taking down the New York Islanders on April 2, with a 5-0 score. The Penguins drafted Murray in 2012, and he spent the past two seasons on the club's minor league team, the Wilkes-Barre Penguins.
Murray's net worth is currently unknown, but his $2.78 million three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins expires in 2017, according to Spotrac. The rookie is currently earning approximately $925,000 per year. but if he continues to prove himself as an invaluable asset to the team, his fortune will likely see a swift increase when his contract is renewed.
Ben Lovejoy Net Worth: Unknown
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy has played in the NHL for 10 seasons -- including seven with the Penguins and three with the Anaheim Ducks. Nicknamed "The Reverend" by his teammates, after Reverend Lovejoy on the "The Simpsons," the Dartmouth University alum was part of the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins team that won the Stanley Cup.
Lovejoy's net worth is unknown, but he's currently in the final year of a $3.3 million, three-year contract, according to Spotrac, totaling an estimated $1.1 million per year.
San Jose Sharks Net Worth
Joe Thornton Net Worth: $60 Million
San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton has played in the NHL for 19 seasons -- including eight with the Boston Bruins and the past 11 with the Sharks. The former Olympian is considered one of the greatest hockey players of the past two decades, and has waited 1,356 games to make it to his very first Stanley Cup run.
Thornton's net worth is $60 million. In 2014, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Sharks worth an estimated $6.75 million per year.
Patrick Marleau Net Worth: $45 Million
San Jose Sharks left wing Patrick Marleau has played in the NHL for 18 seasons -- all of them as a Shark. His 964 career regular-season assists takes second place among players currently active in the league and his 481 goals make him the fifth-highest scorer of all-time. As a long-time Shark, this is the former Olympian's first trip to the Stanley Cup.
Marleau's net worth is $45 million. In 2014, he signed a three-year, $20 million contract extension with the Sharks, bringing his average salary to $6.66 million per year.
Brent Burns Net Worth: $30 Million
San Jose Sharks defenseman Brent Burns has played in the NHL for 12 seasons -- the first seven with the Minnesota Wild and the past five with the Sharks. This is his first Stanley Cup run, but in 2015 he won a gold medal and was honored as best defenseman with Team Canada during the IIHF World Championships.
Burns' net worth is $30 million, according to The Richest. In 2011, he signed a five-year $28.8 million contract extension with the Sharks, which has paid out in the form of a $5.7 million annual salary since then.
Joe Pavelski Net Worth: $24 Million
San Jose Sharks center Joe Pavelski has played in the NHL for 10 seasons -- all with the Sharks. Known for his tough work ethic, the San Jose Sharks team captain is largely credited for bringing the team to its first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history. No stranger to high-pressure games, Pavelski won a silver medal as part of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey team and also played on the team in the 2014 Sochi games.
Pavelski's net worth is $24 million. He reportedly signed a $30 million contract with the Sharks in 2014 -- with a $1 million signing bonus -- and earned a salary of $6 million in 2015.
Penguins vs. Sharks Net Worth: Who Wins?
Their skills on the ice have proven to be a solid match, but out of the rink, the San Jose Sharks' net worth seriously trumps that of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The net worth of the Sharks' top four players is $159 million, which is more than double the $65.08 million net worth of the four leading Pittsburgh Penguins. Only time will tell if the Sharks are simply overpaid or if their hockey moves are well worth their massive paychecks.
Penguins Winning Goal: Game One of the Stanley Cup 2016
This article, Stanley Cup 2016 Showdown: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. San Jose Sharks, Which Team Is Worth More?, originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com.
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