Evander Kane is a playoff difference-maker for the Oilers after a long, hard road back from injuries
Edmonton Oilers' Evander Kane (91) prepares for a face off against the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Western Conference Stanley Cup playoff finals, Thursday, May 23, 2024, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
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It's got a little something for everybody,' Commissioner Gary Bettman said before the final he 'hates the issue,' and that was evident Monday night on TNT when retired player-turned-analyst Paul Bissonnette suggested tax problems should be addressed in the next collective bargaining agreement. Bettman called it ridiculous and rhetorically asked if the league should subsidize teams in places like New York and Los Angeles. The NHL tax landscape The Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken are the six NHL teams out of 32 in a place with no state income tax. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said some other franchises have raised it as a concern but added the league does not share that thinking. 'These imbalances have existed forever,' Daly said. 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Hainsey also pointed out that this is not a top issue in the NFL and NBA. Of course, hockey still has a ways to go to catch up with football and basketball player salaries, even with the NHL cap rising over the next few years because of revenues setting records. Alan Pogroszewski, who has studied and worked with players on tax matters for more than a decade, said a flexible salary cap would account for the range of tax situations. His AFP Consulting found that since 2016, teams in places with no state income tax qualified for the playoffs at a higher rate, providing what he called 'an innate-built-in tax advantage for several of these cities.' 'It's a combination of many things,' Pogroszewski said Tuesday. 'There's more factors than just the amount of money that's spent. It's how it's spent. But when you come into an equal playing field and your dollar's worth more, then that allows you some leeway.' What do players think? Brad Marchand, a Canadian who played in Boston for a decade and a half before getting traded to Florida in March, does not dismiss taxes as a factor in choosing where to play. 'The Canadian teams, most of them have an extremely high tax rate, and then the California teams, same thing: Those teams are going to have to pay more money to get certain players than others,' Marchand said. 'When you look at a team like Montreal, what are they 52, 54%? Versus a team like here or Dallas or whatever. That's a 15% difference. When you add that up, it's a tremendous amount of money.' Of course, money isn't the only motivating factor. Success for Florida, Tampa Bay, Vegas and Dallas directly coincides with Zito, Julien BriseBois, Kelly McCrimmon and Jim Nill being some of the best executives around and knowing how to evaluate talent and manage the cap. Being able to golf in the winter does not hurt either, and some players prefer smaller markets with less pressure. Others are drawn to hockey-crazy places where fans care deeply and hockey is either the top dog or the only game in town. The Edmonton Oilers, in the final for a second consecutive year, are the perfect example of that. 'The passion obviously that this fanbase has for their team is incredible,' said Oilers forward Evander Kane, who has also played in Atlanta, Winnipeg, Buffalo and San Jose. 'Once you actually get here and get to know your way around the city a little bit more, you realize there's actually quite a bit to do and it is a good spot for families and they have great summers.' NHL players get paid in U.S. dollars, even in Canada, taking some of the tax bite out of places like Montreal and Toronto with high tax rates because of the exchange rate. But that can also get cut into based on where guys choose to live. 'It helps while you're there, but also the living costs in Canada are extremely high, too, because you're taxed through the roof on everything: what you buy, what you sell, what you make,' Marchand said. 'So, yes, at the time, the costs are a little bit different but not much, and then when you move back, you have 20, 30% less money, so it absolutely plays a part.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
