NHL players make shocking admission that is horrible for Canadian teams

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Axel Williams
September 11, 2024 (1:26 PM)

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When it comes to free-agent NHL signings, there is no doubt that some cities and states hold advantages over others.

In a report from the Daily Faceoff, it was noted that the states of Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming do not have income tax. This has subsequently led to players signing down south in an effort to make more money. As a result, NHL teams from the South have largely been dominating over the past few years. Four of the last five Stanley Cup champions come from Florida and Nevada.

Some believe that this is unfair to the Canadian teams and will continue to lead to disparities. In fact, Sam Reinhardt and Filip Forsberg recently admitted that the taxes situation absolutely has an affect on their free agency decisions.

The Players Give Their Take

«You're in a business, not going to be making this kind of money for the rest of my life, you try and make as much as you can,» Reinhart said. «It's things you balance. It just so happens that it's tax free in one of the better places to play. For me, certainly those are all factors that come into a decision of where you want to play.»

Forsberg echoed those sentiments, admitting there is an advantage. However, he would not say whether or not this is something that the league should fix. Ultimately, he is leaving that to the higher-ups.

«I think every place certainly has its advantages, whether it's [lifestyle], taxes is certainly a part of it, and at the end of the day, that does play quite a bit of difference on our salary,» Forsberg said. «It's a fair point. I'm not disagreeing with it. It's above my pay grade whether to decide if it's right or wrong.»

Bill Daly Weighs In

Meanwhile, Deputy NHL commissioner Bill Daly weighed in on the situation. However, he was not committed to making any sort of tangible change. Based on internal data, Daly is happy with the league's current level of competition. Although that could certainly change.

«Having said that, obviously there's chatter out there specifically in the Canadian media that the Canadian franchises are disadvantaged,» Daly said. «We take that chatter seriously and we always look for ways to make the system better. I don't have any obvious answers to it.»

Do you believe the NHL needs to intervene in this situation? Let us know what you believe, in the poll down below. Additionally, stay tuned to Hockey Unplugged for the latest news and updates from around the hockey world.

Source: Daily Faceoff
Complaints about the �no state income tax advantage' are real. Will NHL address it?