Another Stanley Cup Final in markets with little tax burden

Jonathan Di Gregorio
Another Stanley Cup Final in markets with little tax burden
Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Since last night, we know who the Stanley Cup finalists are: the Hurricanes will face off against the Golden Knights.

I don't think this final will break any ratings records, but Gary Bettman must be thrilled to see two teams from the Southern United States competing for the top honors.

What's worth noting is that, once again, one of the finalists—in this case, Vegas—comes from a state with no income tax.

The other teams playing in tax-free states are the Stars, the Panthers, the Lightning, the Predators, and the Kraken.

As for the Hurricanes, they play in a state where taxes are particularly low (4.25%), making it the second-lowest tax rate among states where players pay taxes.

The lowest is that of the Avalanche.

If you've noticed, among these teams, we have several of the Stanley Cup finalists from recent years.

In fact, since 2020, the only two clubs not based in a state with a low tax rate are the Oilers in 2024 and 2025 and the Canadiens in 2021.

Even though NHL executives try to downplay the impact of this situation, the results speak for themselves, as we've seen since the start of the decade.

In a league with a salary cap, it's clearly an advantage for certain teams to be able to offer contracts that pay their players more for the same amount of money.

Not to mention that many of these teams are located in places that are already top destinations for free agents.

At the other end of the tax rate spectrum are the seven Canadian clubs, whose players pay more in taxes than any American club and who are clearly at a disadvantage in this regard when it comes time to sign free agents.

And this is despite the fact that these seven teams generate a disproportionate share of the NHL's revenue.

Yet there would be a very simple solution: set the same tax rate for all players across the NHL, regardless of location—it would be the same for everyone.

However, as long as the NHL doesn't acknowledge the problem, there's unlikely to be any change anytime soon, and we can expect resistance from owners who benefit from this situation.

And in the meantime, the Stanley Cup will not be coming to Canada for the 33rd consecutive year.


In Brief

– Player comments.

– Even Céline is proud!

– A first loss for the Roses.

– A fatal 9th inning for the Jays.

– Things are finally clicking.

– Wow!

– A prospect to watch.

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