Gary Bettman calls notion Panthers have advantage because of Florida tax situation 'ridiculous'
For those arriving, especially those who are fattening their financial portfolio, state taxes are a one of those advantages.
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So how much does that help our state's professional teams, like the Florida Panthers, who are seeking a second consecutive Stanley Cup championship?
Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers reacts during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers in Game Three of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on June 09, 2025 in Sunrise, Florida.
We'll let NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman answer that question because it has become a theme for those who cannot accept teams from the Sunshine State enjoying so much success. The Panthers have had three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final following a three-year run to the Final by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Bettman was asked by Toronto Maple Leafs wonk and TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette whether there were plans to "implement a balance" between states with and without state taxes.
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After calling it a "ridiculous issue," he unloaded.
"When the Florida teams weren't good, which was for about 17 years, nobody said anything about it," he said. "For those of you who played, were you sitting there with a tax table? No.
"You wanted to go to a good organization and play where you wanted to live, where you wanted to raise your kids and send them to school. You wanted to play in a first-class arena with a first-class training facility with an owner, an organization, a GM and a coach that you were comfortable with and you wanted to have good teammates so you had a shot at winning."
Bettman reminded Bissonnette state taxes are high in Los Angeles and New York.
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"What are we going to do? Subsidize those teams?" he said.
When Bissonnette asked jokingly if the NHL could take away taxes from Ontario to help the Toronto Maple Leafs, Bettman got in a shot that would rival anything seen on the ice during the Panthers' 6-1 beatdown of the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
"I was watching you during the prior rounds," he said. "Your attire was a little suspect in terms of your journalistic objectivity."
Bissonnette unashamedly wore a Maple Leafs tie whenever his beloved team was playing and even sported a full Toronto-themed suit the night the Leafs played the Panthers in Game 7 of the second round.
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Following Florida's 6-1 win that eliminated Toronto, Brad Marchant said to Bissonnette 'We just had to be-LEAF,' and then winked.
Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Gary Bettman rips idea Panthers have advantage playing in Florida because of taxes
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