I will be straight up with you guys i played Hockey got scouted by a WHL team ,, @ 14 years old won two Allen cup rings and a gold metal ..
Was carded pro player even signed a pro contract yet never played a pro game ( NHL) was cool skating in a blue jersey And B carded player with pro players but again never even had a chance to suit up as a pro or even be a bench warmer its political.. Least i got close just wanted few games if any to say i was there look .. Anyways got payed to play again nothing like the big boys
Although you are right in a sense when it comes to income tax some places are not good to play many people tend to think its cause players want warm weather or California living ?? most players drafted come from fairly harsh climates CANADA RUSSIA etc what players actually look at is TAXES for instance Montreal you pay 53 percent tax Vancouver your in the 44 percent tax
Numbers do not lie players take a hit playing in some jurisdictions
Obviously, there are other factors at play besides taxes, but the fact remains that disparities in tax rates leave some teams at a major disadvantage.”
Calgary and Edmonton took the top spot in 2014, up from fifth place in 2012. Florida, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Nashville fell from the top spot in 2012 to third best locations in 2014 to play from an income tax standpoint. Winnipeg came in at the number 12 spot, while Ottawa and Toronto both ranked 18th. Montreal was dead last at the number 30 spot.
While there is a salary cap in place, income tax differences mean that some locations have a distinct advantage over others. Edmonton and Calgary’s “true cap” (after income taxes) is a league high of $39.6 million, Vancouver at $35.4 million, Winnipeg at $34.8