Craig Oster
Elite Contract Strategist

Canada

$1.3B

Key Facts

Agency / company: Newport Sports Management / The Hockey Agency
Role / title: Senior management / NHL player agent
Agency website: https://www.thehockeyagency.com/
Instagram: Not publicly confirmed
X: https://x.com/Craig_Oster
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/craig-oster-3005563a
Primary markets: NHL contracts, Western Canada, Europe, RFA/UFA work, arbitration, ELCs, NHL Draft, international transfers

About Craig D. Oster

Craig Oster is a senior figure at Newport Sports Management Inc., the hockey-only agency publicly branded as The Hockey Agency. Oster was born and raised in Winnipeg, played Major Junior, university, and professional hockey in Europe, trained as a lawyer, and became an NHLPA Certified Agent in 1995 after joining NSM.

Oster’s practice is heavily contract-focused. His areas of experience include the NHL/NHLPA CBA, entry-level system, NHL Draft, restricted and unrestricted free agency, salary arbitration, international transfer agreements, CHL Import Draft, and junior contract issues.

PuckPedia ranks Oster No. 2 on its NHL agent leaderboard by active contract value, behind Pat Brisson, with 72 active contracts and roughly $1.3B in active value.

Key Facts

• NHLPA certification: Certified Agent

• Active NHL contracts represented: 72

• Total active contract value: about $1.3B

• Total active cap hit / AAV represented: about $226M

• Largest active contract: Erik Karlsson – $92M total, $11.5M AAV

• Most notable clients: Erik Karlsson, Rasmus Dahlin, Mark Stone, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brady Tkachuk

• Primary client type: Elite NHL players, high-end defensemen, power forwards, Western Canadian and European clients

• Data date: May 14, 2026

• Contract source: PuckPedia

Client Roster

1. Erik Karlsson (Pittsburgh Penguins) – RD – Sweden – $11.5M AAV – $92M total – expires 2026-27

2. Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo Sabres) – D – Sweden – $11M AAV – $88M total – expires 2031-32

3. Mark Stone (Vegas Golden Knights) – RW – Canada – $9.5M AAV – $76M total – expires 2026-27

4. Matthew Tkachuk (Florida Panthers) – LW – USA – $9.5M AAV – $76M total – expires 2029-30

5. Sam Reinhart (Florida Panthers) – RW/C – Canada – $8.625M AAV – $69M total – expires 2031-32

6. Mark Scheifele (Winnipeg Jets) – C – Canada – $8.5M AAV – $59.5M total – expires 2030-31

7. Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa Senators) – LW – USA – $8.224M AAV – $57.565M total – expires 2027-28

8. Tomas Hertl (Vegas Golden Knights) – C – Czechia – $8.138M AAV – $65.1M total – expires 2029-30

9. Robert Thomas (St. Louis Blues) – C – Canada – $8.125M AAV – $65M total – expires 2030-31

10. Joshua Norris (Buffalo Sabres) – C – USA – $7.95M AAV – $63.6M total – expires 2029-30

11. Kevin Fiala (Los Angeles Kings) – LW – Switzerland – $7.875M AAV – $55.125M total – expires 2028-29

12. Elias Lindholm (Boston Bruins) – C – Sweden – $7.75M AAV – $54.25M total – expires 2030-31

13. Shea Theodore (Vegas Golden Knights) – D – Canada – $7.425M AAV – $51.975M total – expires 2031-32

14. Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers) – D – Canada – $6.25M AAV – $50M total – expires 2030-31

15. Aaron Ekblad (Florida Panthers) – D – Canada – $6.1M AAV – $48.8M total – expires 2032-33

Notable Deals

• 2019 – Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks: 8 years, $92M, $11.5M AAV.

• 2019 – Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights: 8 years, $76M, $9.5M AAV.

• 2021 – Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators: 7 years, $57.5M, $8.214M AAV.

• 2022 – Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers: 8 years, $76M, $9.5M AAV.

• 2023 – Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres: 8 years, $88M, $11M AAV.

• 2024 – Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers: 8 years, $69M, $8.625M AAV.

Milestones

• 1995: Joined Newport and became an NHLPA Certified Agent.

• 2019: Represented Erik Karlsson on an eight-year, $92M Sharks contract.

• 2022: Crossed the $1B active-contract threshold after Matthew Tkachuk’s $76M deal.

• 2026: Ranked No. 2 among NHL agents by active contract value on PuckPedia.

Partner Network

• Newport senior leadership: Donald E. Meehan, Patrick J. Morris, Craig D. Oster, Rand Simon, Wade E. Arnott, Greg Landry, Brandon Morley, Tyler Nother, and Kody Clark.

• Marketing: Chris Feniak and Sean Ryan.

• Agency support: Financial, tax, insurance, legal, marketing, and contractual staff.

• Regional network: Ontario, Western Canada, Quebec, United States, Sweden, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Russia, Finland, and Germany.

Testimonials / Media Characterization

• Newport describes Oster as an invaluable resource in NHL contract negotiations for the firm’s clientele.

• Forbes describes Newport as a leading hockey-only agency and names Oster among its headline agents.

• PuckPedia ranks Oster second among NHL agents by active contract value.

Press, Awards & Recognition

• 2022 – Forbes: Newport listed as a major hockey-only sports agency, with Oster named among its headline agents.

• 2019 – PuckPedia: Oster led 2019 UFA signings by total contract dollars.

• 2026 – PuckPedia: Oster ranked No. 2 among NHL agents by active contract value.