Who is the richest NHL player of all time?

The NHL is among the top 10 best sports leagues played around the world when it comes to the revenue generated each year.

Over recent years, the league has seen a huge surge in its popularity. The contracts are worth millions and players playing in the league make a good chunk of money throughout the season.

The one thing that keeps on striking the minds of NHL fans is who is the richest player of all time. Well, the answer to that question is "The Great One." Wayne Gretzky is the richest NHL player of all time. According to Wealthy Gorilla, the net worth of "The Great One," is estimated at a whopping $250 million.

Wayne Gretzky during his coaching stint with the Phoenix Coyotes

Wayne Gretzky spent 20 seasons playing in the league. During that span, "The Great One" donned the jerseys of the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and had a short stint of 18 games for the St. Louis Blues. He won four Stanley Cups in his career.

Before hanging up his skates in 1999, Wayne Gretzky went onto set record after record. He held 61 records when he retired from the National Hockey League. No wonder he's the richest hockey player of all time.

A large part that contributes to Wayne Gretzky's whopping $250 million net worth comes from the amount he made during his playing career, popular brand endorsements, real estate, owning sports teams and more.

The NHL has seen a huge surge in its revenue over the last decade

The annual revenue generated by the NHL is reported to be between $4-5 billion each year. The league has significantly increased its revenue over the past 10 years except for some exceptional years in between.

A large part of the money that adds to the revenue comes from ticket sales. While television contracts are distributed across regions of Canada and the United States, they also add a sizeable addition to the league's revenue.

The majority of the money that adds to the league's revenues each year comes from royalties from licensing, which includes the licensing of its logos, images of players and association with products.

The narrative surrounding the NHL as being popular only in the North American region has also changed in the past couple of years as many fans around the world have started to take an interest in ice hockey. They have started to watch the games on a regular basis.

One thing that has also helped its popularity is due to the sport's presence at the Winter Olympics, which is watched by millions around the globe.