Do NHL teams from Florida have an unfair advantage that may need to be addressed soon? NHL on TNT analyst Paul Bissonette wondered that on Wednesday night, after the Florida Panthers’ Eastern Conference Championship Series-clinching victory against the Carolina Panthers.
After Game 5, Bissonette stressed how important it will be for other teams to “draft and develop” their players rather than relying on signing big-name free agents.
“The fact that Florida, not only is it an unbelievable team, an unbelievable market, but the fact that you’re not paying state tax,” he said. “That is an advantage that maybe has to be addressed in the next CBA. That’s a conversation for another day.”
Fellow analyst Anson Carter was not convinced.
“You think so? Really? I mean, nobody was talking about the state tax advantage that Florida and Tampa Bay had when those teams were brutal,” Carter said. “So, why is it gonna be such an issue now? Now they’ve got good teams they can use to their advantage. But 10-15 years ago, no one was saying, ‘Hey, look, these guys have an unfair advantage.”
“Well, I know,” Bissonette replied. “I’m just trying to say that I think we’d be naive to not think there isn’t an advantage.”
> this is kind of pathetic. Paul Bissonette, on NHL Postgame show on TNT said NHL needs to look into addressing the teams that don’t have to pay state income tax to their players because it’s too much of an advantage in the next CBA. That’s soft. Anson Carter quickly checked him. [pic.twitter.com/HaTSNnL56j](https://t.co/HaTSNnL56j)
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> — Zack Duarte (@fflumberjack) [May 29, 2025](https://twitter.com/fflumberjack/status/1927941236683415744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Florida teams have certainly had the better of things in the Eastern Conference in recent years.
The Panthers will be making their third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2025. That will make it six straight conference champions from Florida, as the Tampa Bay Lightning played in the Stanley Cup Finals from 2020-2022.
Carter didn’t necessarily dispute the idea that Florida’s lack of a state tax gives its NHL teams an advantage. He did, however, note that other markets have advantages that can work in their favor, as well.
“Use what’s in your back pocket,” Carter said. “You could say that playing in Toronto, a passionate fanbase, playing in Canada, people love hockey, they live, sleep and breathe hockey. If you’re a hockey player, that’s what you want to have. So it depends. Whatever city you’re in, you can play whatever cards you got.”