The NHL will not make any changes to income tax rules in the next collective agreement, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.
Franchises in tax-free states have produced Stanley Cup champions in four of the last five seasons, and whether they have an advantage over teams located elsewhere is a hotly debated topic.
Teams from taxed areas have expressed concerns to the league about this, Johnston notes.
The Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators and Seattle Kraken are the organizations located in income tax free states. No taxes can be an attractive selling point when it comes to free agency, as players get to keep more of their salary.
The Panthers and Lightning have won the Eastern Conference six years in a row and have several players on their books playing on contracts below their perceived market value. The Predators were the biggest spenders in free agency last summer, and the Stars recently signed Mikko Rantanen to an eight-year extension worth $12 million per season after he made it known he would accept a trade from Carolina to Dallas.
The current agreement is set to expire in September 2026, but Commissioner Gary Bettman noted Wednesday that negotiations are going well.
