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.
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.»
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.
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