Under Maintenance
We deeply apologize for interrupting your reading but Vendetta is currently undergoing some important maintenance! You may experience some layout shifts, slow loading times and dififculties in navigating.
WATCH: Gary Bettman Delivers Hilarious Chirp To Paul Bissonette
WATCH: Gary Bettman Delivers Hilarious Chirp To Paul Bissonnette
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is once again front and center as the Stanley Cup Final unfolds, attending every game as the league’s longtime figurehead. With TNT carrying the broadcast in the U.S., fans are getting a dose of high-energy analysis from the usual studio crew, including Paul Bissonnette—never one to shy away from poking the bear. That dynamic was on full display during a recent segment when Bissonnette pressed Bettman about teams in no-income-tax states and the perceived edge they may hold in free agency. Bettman didn’t hesitate to fire back, brushing off the idea with a chirp or two included. It was a funny moment and one where Bettman actually shows some personality.
The main point of it begins around the 1:17 mark:
For the past half decade or so, the state tax debate became one of the biggest in hockey. Teams like the Panthers, Lightning, Stars, and Golden Knights just so happen to be in states without an income tax. Teams have played there for decades. With the financial fallout of the pandemic delaying the rise of the NHL’s salary cap, fans and analysts have gone to great lengths discussing this. If a team from Florida didn’t play in the Stanley Cup Final for six years in a row, then we definitely would not be having this conversation.
No Harm, No Foul
It’s similar to the now-infamous deferred money maneuver in baseball. However, if you own a pro sports team, you have to be loaded. Some owners are just more willing to spend than others. Fans should wish that a Steve Cohen type could own every team.
In any event, Bettman and the league are more than aware of the optics. They will not be adjusting the rules to combat this because, obviously, these state governments have had no income tax in place for a long time. This is not just a new phantom tax that benefits only a handful of teams. Front offices everywhere will have plenty of cap space to play with as the years go on.
While Bissonnette raised a point that’s been echoed around NHL circles for years, Gary Bettman made it clear—once again—that no changes are coming to level the playing field when it comes to state taxes. In his eyes, the league remains as competitive as ever, with parity still a defining trait of the modern NHL. And with the salary cap projected to rise steadily in the coming seasons, Bettman is betting on financial growth, not geographic tweaks, to shape the league’s future.
Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch
Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube
Check out the Vendetta Shop
Click here for more NHL content
