Are Taylor Raddysh and Darren Raddysh related?

Yes — Taylor Raddysh and Darren Raddysh are brothers. Both are Canadian professional hockey players, and their family connection has been part of their story as aspiring athletes rising through junior hockey and into professional leagues.

While they share the same last name, played the same sport, and even came through similar development systems, they have separate careers and identities in hockey — each with his own style of play, accomplishments, and professional trajectory.

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Family Background

Taylor and Darren Raddysh grew up in Caledon, Ontario, Canada, in a family that supported their athletic interests from a young age. They are siblings who both developed a passion for hockey early in life and worked their way through minor hockey leagues with the goal of playing at the highest level.

Their family environment provided support and development opportunities that helped both brothers become strong competitors in junior hockey and eventually earn attention from professional teams.

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Taylor Raddysh: The Older Brother

Taylor Raddysh, born in 1998, is the older of the two brothers and the more widely known in professional hockey circles due largely to his offensive production and NHL opportunities.

Junior Hockey Success

Taylor played for the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), where he became one of the league’s standout forwards. He was known for:

• Scoring ability

• Playmaking instincts

• Versatility on offense

He finished his OHL career with strong point totals and established himself as a key leader for his team.

Professional Career

Taylor was selected in the third round of the NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He later made his way into the Lightning’s organization, splitting time between the NHL and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Taylor’s offensive skills have been his calling card as he continues to pursue a stable role at the NHL level.

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Darren Raddysh: The Younger Brother

Darren Raddysh, born in 1995, is the older brother of Taylor (though in some reporting he is described first because of his earlier draft history). He is a defenseman, and his path through hockey has been distinct from Taylor’s.

Junior Hockey and Draft

Like Taylor, Darren played major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League, most notably with the Erie Otters as well. However, Darren’s game is defined by his role on defense:

• Strong skating

• Defensive positioning

• Ability to contribute offensively from the blue line

Darren was drafted earlier than Taylor — he was selected in the fifth round by the Dallas Stars in the NHL Draft. Though not a high draft pick, he used his junior experience to build a professional career.

Professional Career

After junior hockey, Darren played in the minor pro ranks, including time in the AHL and ECHL. His style as a two-way defenseman has been valuable to teams looking for a reliable puck-moving blueliner at the professional level.

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Comparison of Their Careers

Both brothers achieved success through hard work and development, but their hockey identities are quite different:

Their shared experiences include:

• Ontario Hockey League development

• Erie Otters tenure

• Being drafted by NHL franchises

• Pursuing professional hockey careers

But they have separate roles on the ice and distinct statistical profiles.

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What Makes Their Story Interesting

The Raddysh brothers illustrate how family connections can run deep in sports but still lead to different athletic outcomes. It’s notable that:

• Both reached high levels of competitive hockey

• They played together in junior hockey, strengthening on-ice chemistry

• They each carved out careers based on their unique strengths

Their parallel paths show how support and shared passion in a family can help multiple siblings reach elite levels, even when their roles and achievements differ.

• Yes, Taylor Raddysh and Darren Raddysh are brothers from Caledon, Ontario, Canada.

• Taylor is known as a scoring forward who has played in the NHL and AHL.

• Darren is a defenseman who has played professionally in the AHL and ECHL.

• Both share a strong hockey background and have developed separate professional careers in the sport.

What Is Darren Raddysh’s Salary? A Detailed Look

Darren Raddysh is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Tampa Bay Lightning. As of the 2025–26 NHL season, his salary is part of a multi-year contract that reflects his status as a regular NHL player.

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Current NHL Contract

Raddysh signed a two-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Lightning that runs through the 2025–26 season. Under this deal:

• The contract is worth $1,950,000 total over two seasons.

• It has an average annual value (AAV) of $975,000 per season under the NHL salary cap.

• For 2024–25, his salary was $1,114,000.

• For the 2025–26 season, his base salary is $836,000.

• The deal has a cap hit of $975,000 for both seasons, which is the amount that counts against the team’s salary cap each year.

This contract structure with different yearly base salaries — but the same cap hit — is fairly common in the NHL and helps teams manage their overall roster spending under the league’s salary cap.

Raddysh’s contract also does not include performance bonuses or signing bonuses, meaning his earnings are tied directly to the base salary amounts for each season set by the deal.

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What “Cap Hit” Means

In the NHL, a cap hit refers to the average annual value of a player’s contract for salary cap purposes. Even though Raddysh earns different amounts in 2024–25 and 2025–26, his cap hit is the same both seasons: $975,000 per year.

Teams use cap hits to make sure they don’t exceed the league’s salary cap, which limits how much total money a team can spend on player salaries in a season.

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Salary Timeline and History

Before his current contract, Raddysh’s NHL salary gradually increased as he became more established:

• 2018–2020 – He signed his first entry-level NHL contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, with base salaries generally under standard league minimums for younger players.

• 2021–22 – A one-year contract with Tampa Bay worth around $750,000.

• 2022–24 – A two-year contract with base salaries around $750,000–$775,000 and a cap hit around $762,500.

• 2024–26 – The current extension with the Lightning featuring a cap hit of $975,000 per season.

These figures reflect his progression from entry-level pay toward a more stable NHL salary as he earned a regular roster role.

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UFA Status After 2025–26

Raddysh’s current deal will expire at the end of the 2025–26 season, at which point he is expected to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA). This means he will be free to sign with any team, and his salary could change significantly based on his performance, market demand, and negotiation outcomes at that time.

There’s discussion among fans and analysts that, if Raddysh continues to perform well, his next contract could be substantially larger — potentially several million dollars per season — but that remains speculative until actual negotiations occur.

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How Darren Raddysh’s Salary Fits in the NHL

A $975,000 cap hit places Raddysh around the lower middle range of typical NHL defenseman salaries:

• It is above the league minimum (which tends to be lower, near typical entry-level salaries).

• It is below many top defensemen, who may earn multiple millions per season.

• It reflects his status as a solid supporting defenseman who is still building his career depth and consistency.

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Summary

As of the 2025–26 season:

• Darren Raddysh’s NHL salary is $836,000 for the current year.

• His contract carries a cap hit of $975,000, the same figure used in team salary cap calculations.

• His total two-year contract value is $1,950,000, with a base salary of $1,114,000 in 2024–25 and $836,000 in 2025–26.

• After this season, he will be a free agent, and his future salary could change based on negotiations and performance.