Radko Gudas has only been a back with the Florida Panthers for a few days, but the veteran NHL defenseman is already starting to stir things up.
Since it’s still only July, there isn’t much Gudas can do on the ice to get our attention.
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That didn’t stop him from making a little comment that will likely only anger the anti-Panthers (and anti-no tax states) mob even more.
After officially signing his new 6-year deal with Florida last week, Gudas was interviewed by Pavel Barta of Denik Sport’s iSport.cz.
During their chat, Gudas was asked about his decision to sign with the Panthers.
While speaking about the team Florida has built and his desire to win the Stanley Cup, Gudas let another interesting little piece of information slip out.
“Because of the lower income taxes, players are willing to play there even for a little less money,” he said.
Well, well, well.
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I guess the rumors are true. The cat is out of the bag.
With the Panthers operating in the no-tax state of Florida, it gives them a clear and obvious edge over the majority of the teams in the NHL who are not located in a state that provides a similar advantage.
That doesn’t solve the problem of why players never seemed have the same kind of desire to play for the Panthers for the first 25 or so years of the team’s existence, but I digress..
All kidding aside, the tax situation is something that helps give places like Florida (and Texas and Nevada and Tennessee and Washington) a leg-up when players are weighing where to sign, there is no denying that.
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But you better believe that if and when the day comes where the Panthers (or Stars or Golden Knights or Predators or Kraken) become less successful and as such, less desirable for free agents, those tax breaks won’t hold the same kind of wight as players decide where they want to spent the next several years of their respective careers.
For now, South Florida is the ultimate hockey haven for any pro looking to combine making money with winning titles while living in a tropical climate.
Not that tough of a sell, eh?
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Photo caption: Jan 28, 2023; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and defenseman Radko Gudas (7) celebrate a victory over the Boston Bruins at FLA Live Arena. (Jason Mowry-Imagn Images)
