Former NHL player-turned-announcer Paul Bissonnette has been harping on the Florida state tax policy and its apparent advantages for a while. “The fact that Florida, not only is it an unbelievable team, an unbelievable market, but the fact that you’re not paying state tax,” the former Penguins player said on NHL on TNT after the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes.

“That is an advantage that maybe has to be addressed in the next CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). That’s a conversation for another day.” Bissonnette continued as he discussed Florida’s victory. However, fellow panelist Anson Carter was having none of it, saying that no one argued against the tax advantage when teams like the Cats or the Tampa Bay Lightning struggled in the league.

Yet, it seems Paul Bissonnette wasn’t done arguing his point; this time, trying his luck with NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman. Turns out it wasn’t a good idea. Bettman roasted the NHL analyst when he was asked about his plans to balance out the Florida Panthers’ tax advantage. “It’s a ridiculous issue,” said Bettman.

“When the Florida Teams weren’t good, which was for about 17 years? Okay, nobody said anything about it,” he added, taking a page out of Carter’s counterargument. “For those of you who played. Were you sitting there with the tax table? No! You wanted to go to a good organization,” the 73-year-old said, specifically addressing ex-NHLers like Paul Bissonnette.

Bettman explained that instead of looking for tax benefits, NHL players sign with teams where they can thrive, win titles, and a state they can call home for however long their contract lasts. “That’s what motivates it,” said the NHL commissioner. The Florida Panthers just happen to be one of those teams right now. In fact, the Panthers’ newest acquisition revealed the team’s real x-factor in April.

The real reason behind the Florida Panthers’ success

“Could it be a little bit of a factor if everything else were equal? I suppose, but that’s not it,” Gary Bettman stressed while shutting down Bissonette’s argument. But before we take a look at why the league’s boss was on to something with the defending champions, let’s decipher the advantages the tax benefits give to the Cats players. Here’s what economist John Phelan had to say.

“With no state income tax, players keep more of their earnings. Factoring in federal taxes and other deductions, a player might take home roughly $2.4 million from their $4 million salary,” the economist from the Center of the American Experiment wrote in his Substack. Compare that to Toronto, where, “both federal and provincial taxes,” players take home only $2 million.

However, to echo the commissioner of the NHL, to claim that tax exemptions helped Florida win the Stanley Cup would be a little far-fetched. From 2010 to 2020, the Cats missed eight playoffs. In fact, a lot of the credit should go to both GM Bill Zito and coach Paul Maurice for taking the Panthers to the postseason in each of their seasons with the team after having joined in 2020 and 2022, respectively. And if you ask Brad Marchand, he’ll tell you it’s the system.

“I love the messaging. The messaging that the team portrays in the room and on the bench is very simple to follow and very direct… The system… It helps regardless of your skill, talent, or physicality level,” said the 37-year-old who joined the team in March as a last-minute transfer. And despite barely getting time to settle in, Marchand is thriving in the Florida Panthers jersey.

In fact, he notched two NHL records after three matches against the Oilers. The “big moment guy,” as Bill Zito called him, became the “only player in history to score a shorthanded goal, followed by an Overtime goal in a #StanleyCup Final game,” in Game 2. If that wasn’t enough, he became the oldest NHL player to score in the first three games of a final after scoring the opening goal in Game 3. Yet, what’s your opinion on the tax exemption situation? Tell us in the comments.