Latest news with #PaulBissonnette
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paul Bissonnette Hears of ‘Agreed-Upon' Brad Marchand-Maple Leafs Deal
Paul Bissonnette Hears of 'Agreed-Upon' Brad Marchand-Maple Leafs Deal originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Toronto Maple Leafs' offseason overhaul may have its first major twist in the addition of a former bitter rival to the roster ahead of next season. Advertisement Former Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, fresh off winning his second Stanley Cup — wearing the Florida Panthers sweater — is set to enter free agency on July 1 and has been heavily linked to Toronto heading into the open market. With star forwards John Tavares and Mitch Marner both set to become free agents as well, Toronto could be looking to sign someone to make up for those potential exits. On Wednesday's episode of the "Spittin' Chiclets" podcast, co-host Paul Bissonnette shared a message he received from what he called 'someone very reliable.' 'I got a message from someone very reliable," Bissonnette said. "I heard rumblings that it is already agreed upon, four (years) times $9 (million) for Brad Marchand. Advertisement "That would be unreal, that would be a culture setter. That would make losing Tavares, if you do, not as painful, we knew Marner was gone.' Whether Bissonnette was actually trying to wish a deal into existence is unclear. After all, he was wearing a Leafs cap and sweater while he revealed the information. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos recently commented on Marchand's situation, saying the Leafs are his best option while appearing on "Leafs Morning Take" a few days ago. "There's no team on the planet right now that can satisfy the lost income (Marchand) had probably on the last three/four years of his Boston Bruins deal, than the Toronto Maple Leafs," Kypreos said. Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand has been widely linked skates before a game against the Toronto Maple E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images Marchand dropped a comment on an Instagram post related to Kypreos' comment, leaving the door open for a potential move to Toronto this offseason. Advertisement '(Expletive) dawg… the people wanna see it?' Marchand posted. The 37-year-old forward remains a premier playoff performer and is coming off a postseason run in which he scored 20 points in 23 games. In his career, Marchand has scored 158 points in 180 career playoff contests. Marchand just completed an eight-year, $49 million deal, and Daily FaceOff projects him to sign a two-year, $10.2 million contract this offseason, way short of Bissonnette's reported four-year, $36 million deal. Related: Brad Marchand's Seven-Word Comment on Maple Leafs Speculation Related: Family Factor Could Shape Mitch Marner's Future, Claims NHL Insider This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Panthers' massive bar tab revealed after wild Stanley Cup party at Miami nightclub
Article content 'He was going to pay before he realized it was a $500Gs comp,' Tkachuk said on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast. 'We're treated pretty well there. They do a good job, they're classy.' Ex-NHLer and current analyst Paul Bissonnette added on the podcast that there was a lot of 'pent-up partying that was on display between E11EVEN, the parade, dunking in the ocean … It was an all spectacle that definitely rivals that 2019 Washington team.' 'Seeing Marchand holding the Cup crowd surfing at E11EVEN was out of control,' former NHLer Ryan Whitney added on the podcast. BRAD MARCHAND CROWD SURFING WITH THE STANLEY CUP TO PINK PONY CLUB HOLY — tori ☻ (@tarpscff) June 20, 2025
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Analyst Demands Eight-Figure Salary for Panthers' Sam Bennett
NHL Analyst Demands Eight-Figure Salary for Panthers' Sam Bennett originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett's postseason performances earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs just days before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Advertisement If Bennett wants to maximize his earnings, whether that's signing a contract extension with the Panthers or a deal with another team, he might have an ally in former NHL player and current analyst Paul Bissonnette. Speaking on Saturday's episode of 'Spittin' Chiclets,' Bissonnette didn't hold back on Bennett's value, building a case for the forward to earn at least $10 million per season in his next contract. "Sam Bennett just scored more goals in this playoff run than Nikolaj (Ehlers) has in his entire playoff career," Bissonnette said, comparing Bennett's postseason to that of Winnipeg Jets forward Ehlers. "Sam 'The Menace' Bennett, $10 million all day." Bennett, who turned 29 on Friday, scored 15 goals and 22 points in 23 playoff games. He followed up a regular season in which he already had 25 goals and 26 assists before leading the Panthers to their second straight Stanley Cup title. Advertisement Bissonnette dismissed criticisms about Bennett's modest regular-season numbers, pointing to Florida's decision to rest players before the playoffs. "'Ah, he only had 50 points in the regular season...' — I don't give a flying (expletive),' Bissonnette said. 'Half their team didn't even finish the regular season. They were just resting. They didn't even care about winning the division. "All they cared about was the first game of the playoffs. They didn't care whether it was at home, they didn't care whether it was on the road." Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (7) reacts with center Sam Bennett (9) after scoring a goal in the 2025 Stanley Cup Nelson-Imagn Images Bissonnette's salary comparison centered around Ehlers, who just completed a seven-year, $42 million contract with Winnipeg and is about to become an unrestricted free agent. Advertisement Ehlers had seven playoff points this spring after scoring 63 regular-season points in 69 games. Daily Faceoff projects Ehlers to sign a six-year deal at $8.1 million per season, while the same outlet has Bennett projected for a six-year, $6.4 million-per-season contract. Related: Sam Bennett Makes Future Crystal Clear at Panthers' Stanley Cup Party Related: Aleksander Barkov's Panthers Message Should Worry NHL Rivals This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Gary Bettman puts down Paul Bissonnette's tax bias arguments under Stanley Cup limelight
Gary Bettman (via Getty Images) NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman firmly rejected the idea that teams in states with no income tax—such as the Florida Panthers or Dallas Stars—have an unfair competitive edge. The remarks were made in the course of a biting back-and-forth with TNT broadcaster and former player Paul Bissonnette, who asked whether the league should look to level the playing field regarding state taxes and recruiting players. Gary Bettman shoots down tax discussion, indicates market strength trumps income tax variation As talks of player movement and constructing a team heat up in the Stanley Cup Final, one sensitive topic was brought back into the picture: are NHL teams in states without taxes at a competitive advantage? With the Florida Panthers continuing to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final for a third consecutive year and players such as Mikko Rantanen signing long-term contracts in tax-friendly locales like Dallas, the topic has picked up steam. But NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is not convinced. Asked by TNT's Paul Bissonnette if the league would ever take steps to mitigate the effect of state income taxes on team competitiveness, Gary Bettman was direct. Gary Bettman has completely missed the mark "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. By the way, state taxes high in Los Angeles, high in New York. What are we going to do? Subsidize those teams?" He also pointed out that if tax-related imbalances were that much of an issue, the same would hold true for California or New York franchises, where the state income tax is among the highest in North America. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Didn't Anyone Tell You About This Power Saver? elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Pre-Order Undo Gary Bettman Joins NHL on TNT & Shuts Down Biz's Florida Teams State Tax Question The exchange went on after Paul Bissonnette playfully suggested the league eliminate taxes in Ontario to assist the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gary Bettman, visibly entertained, took a jab back in response. Bettman joked, "I was watching you during the prior rounds. Your attire was a little suspect in terms of your journalistic objectivity." Also read: Gary Bettman sparks outrage with 'abhorrent, disgusting' remark as 2018 World Juniors sexual assault trial nears key stage Toronto Maple Leafs on the hot seat with a playoff drought to end Though some still insist teams in no-income-tax states might subtly benefit from signing stars, Gary Bettman clarified the NHL's stance: tax differences aren't something that concerns a league. As the Florida Panthers continue their hot streak and markets such as Dallas attract big players, Bettman feels prosperity still depends on good management and an approach to winning—not what players contribute to the state coffer.
National Post
10-06-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Gary Bettman tears down Paul Bissonnette's 'ridiculous' theory about Florida NHL teams
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman knocked down a 'ridiculous' claim by commentator Paul Bissonnette that NHL teams based in Florida have a big advantage due to the lack of a state income tax. Article content Bettman tore down the argument during an appearance on TNT's panel on Monday night prior to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Article content As the group of commentators lobbed questions towards Bettman, who has served as NHL commissioner since 1993, it came to Bissonnette's turn at the plate. Article content The former NHLer, who is affectionately known as BizNasty, brought up his previously aired concerns about the perceived competitive advantage for the teams in Florida. Article content Article content 'I don't want to take anything away from the teams from Florida and the state of Florida,' Bissonnette began. 'Any plans maybe in the future to implement a balance as far as the no state tax?' Article content Bettman was all over it, instantly shooting down any notion of the sort. Article content 'It's a ridiculous issue,' the 73-year-old began. 'When the Florida teams weren't good, which was for about 17 years, OK, nobody said anything about it. Article content Article content NHL commissioner Gary Bettman calls Paul Bissonnette's concern about the NHL & Florida's lack of state tax "ridiculous." Bettman adds, "I was watching you during the prior rounds. Your attire was a little suspect in terms of your journalistic objectivity." 🏒🎙️ #NHL #StanleyCup — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2025 Article content 'For those of you that played, were you sitting there with a tax table? No, you wanted to go to a good organization in a place 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 would have a shot at winning. Article content 'That's what motivates. Could it be a little bit of a factor if everything else were equal? I suppose, but that's not it. By the way, state taxes are high in Los Angeles, high in New York. What are we going to do, subsidize those teams?' Article content While Bettman's argument is fair, it can't be denied that Florida is on an unprecedented run of success. Between the Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Sunshine State has boasted the Eastern Conference champion in each of the past six seasons. Article content Bissonnette also jokingly asked if his team of choice — the Toronto Maple Leafs — could perhaps get a bit of a break with some big decisions looming in free agency this summer. Article content
