Defenseman expands on why he chose to exclude Canadian markets in free agency
When Radko Gudas signed a multi-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks this summer, it threw many for a loop, as Gudas had just gone on a deep playoff run with the Florida Panthers and nearly skated away with a Stanley Cup. One would have assumed that contending for a Cup would have remained at the top of his list in free agency, but that theory was apparently false.
Per a report a couple of short weeks back, teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers were all believed to have submitted offers to Gudas in free agency. However, Gudas admitted he wasn't overly interested in playing in Canada due, at least in part, to the increased media attention.
Gudas has elaborated on his decision to exclude Canadian teams from his wish list, telling iSport this week that the media wasn't the only reason he was as turned off by Canada. He revealed that taxes in Canada played an enormous role in his not wanting to play north of the border.
"In Canada, you also start with taxes at more than fifty percent. You can't say that California is different in this regard. It has thirteen percent higher taxes than Florida"
To be fair to Gudas, he also revealed that he preferred the weather in Anaheim and the opportunity they could offer him within their lineup, which was more preferable than both Calgary and Edmonton.
"When I had the choice between Calgary, Edmonton and a team somewhere warm, Anaheim appealed to me more. But it wasn't about the weather, it was more about the role in the team, what they would want from me, and of course the financial side."
Obviously, it would appear as though Toronto was the lowest on his list of cities in consideration, as he mentioned both Edmonton and Calgary in relation to not only climate, but team role. Of course, we know that Toronto is a hockey hot bed, and given what we already knew about Gudas preferring to keep a lower profile, it would make sense that he would have excluded the Leafs almost immediately.
| POLL | ||
Are athletes in Canada taxed too much? | ||
| Yes, but everyone is taxed too much | 61 | 57 % |
| No, they pay their fair share | 25 | 23.4 % |
| The wealthy should pay far more than they do | 21 | 19.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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