With the Florida teams now among the NHL’s elite, the subject of tax rates is one of the most talked-about in the NHL. Across the league, everyone gets excited when one of these teams manages to sign a player at a lower price.And obviously, that’s a factor… but in my opinion, many people underestimate the appeal of playing on a competitive team year after year.Montreal,ofcourse, is at the opposite end of the spectrum. We’re talking about one of the highest tax markets in the NHL, after all. That said, it’s really not everyone who sees this as a real brake on signing with the Habs. Alex Newhook, for example, chatted about all this at a round table for his golf tournament… and in his eyes, it’s far from a brake on Montreal:
I think the narrative of not wanting to play in Canada because of taxes is overrated.
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Alex Newhook
[content-ads]Newhook is aware that it’s a real factor, but he thinks it’s taking up too much space in the public discourse. Because for him, playing in Montreal comes with other advantages, too:
How can you turn your nose up at a market like Montreal when a Monday night at the Bell Centre is the equivalent of a Saturday night in another arena?
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Alex Newhook
And Newhook is the first to say it: guys don’t take it for granted. It’s part of the reason why a player wants to sign in Montreal: the atmosphere is unmatched throughout the league.We saw it during the last playoffs, after all: when the Habs are competitive, the atmosphere is supercharged. Of course, it must be remembered that Newhook is Canadian, so he doesn’t have the same perspective on the matter as someone born in Florida, for example. That said, it’s still interesting to have a player’s perspective on an issue that has been the subject of much discussion in recent years.And if the Canadiens continue to progress over the next few years, this will be a good example to counter the narrative.spacer title=’Overtime’]- Kashawn Aitcheson avoided serious injury.
