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Gary Bettman Goes Back on His Word and Fixes the NHL's State Tax Issue
Photo credit: Imagn Images
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been steadfast in his dismissal of the State Tax issue; however, the league's new CBA actually attacks the issue head-on.
With the Florida Panthers winning their second-straight Stanley Cup, and the last six Finals containing teams with no state tax, there has been a unique discourse bubbling in the league.
Overall, some feel as though teams in Florida, Nevada, Dallas, and Tennessee are being given huge advantages. Players are going to non-state tax teams on purpose, knowing they will make more money.
The Florida Panthers have been taking full advantage of this, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has explicitly stated that it is a non-issue.
However, a new stipulation in the recently signed CBA proves that Bettman has been listening to the concerns of the fans.
Gary Bettman makes a change with the CBA
According to Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic, the new CBA states that signing bonuses can only make up 60 percent of a player's cap hit.
It's also something that the next CBA is addressing by limiting signing bonuses to 60 percent of a player's cap hit. For those hoping for the tax advantage to be addressed by the league, the NHL did actually do something about it (to an extent). It will still exist, but likely not to the same degree.
This is significant for the Panthers because in the last five years, they have signed 10 players for more than $5 million per year, and in every single one of those instances, they have paid out 80% or more in signing bonuses.
Only time will tell whether or not the state tax issue gets fixed moving forward. But for now, fans are hopeful to see some parity again.
A Panthers dynasty could be on the horizon, and for the most old-school hockey fans, that is a nightmare scenario.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans would absolutely agree with that assessment.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 10 | 410 ANSWERS Gary Bettman Goes Back on His Word and Fixes the NHL's State Tax Issue Do you think Gary Bettman has been good for the NHL? | ||
| YES | 77 | 18.8 % |
| NO | 333 | 81.2 % |
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