A team from Florida will be competing in the Stanley Cup final for the 6th year in a row

[NYRnine94]

Also, stop crying about tax free states and all this. You didn't hear any of this when the team sucked so why say it now? The bottom line is most hockey fans are miserable that their team sucks (mine does too) and isn't good enough to beat Florida. They should focus on putting pressure on their teams to improve instead of whining about "oh tax free" as if it f***ing guarantees success. You still have to build a team and play the games right? Every single time a team wins, people try to discredit them. How about this, your team isn't good enough and that's why they lost. Get better. Take responsibility and stop trying to take things away from teams that win.

Grow up. If the Rangers ever win again it will be "wahh they're NY, they get all the free agents!" Enough already.

 

[Colezuki]

Remember when we stole Bob for 10mil a year for 7 years due to taxes.
Or Dave Bolland for 5.5mil a year?
Or Kopecky for 3mil?
Or even Yandle?

If it wasn't for our tax advantage, Bob would of taken 15mil!

People think Florida became a powerhouse due to taxes are just ignorant. Tallon built the foundation, and Zito overhauled 80% of the roster via trades and under the radar signings.

any team could of signed Carter V. years ago. We only offered him like $1m for 2 years after the Lightning didn't tender him.
Any team could of traded for Bennett.
Any team could of claimed Forsling.
Traded for Montour for a 3rd.
Buffalo gave us Reinhart for Levi and a first and some other pieces. His first extension here was around the same $ that he got in Buffalo.
Maurice stepping down and Zito convincing him to come here also played a big part too.

What others don't understand is they've built a culture here. Players here want to win, and it's a group effort to take less to be able to keep signing new blood on the roster to keep the team competitive. Sure, the location is nice and $ retained I'm sure helps a bit, but there's no passengers on the Panthers. 10-20 years ago Broward was still nice when you had money, but no one wanted to play here except the guys looking for their last big paycheck. Had guys like Bouwmeester counting down the days to bolt. Horton half assing it for years. Only Weiss and Olli playing well, along with most goalies.

While I agree the management has been good, especially at identifying players that fit the mould of the team there trying to play as. No state tax teams all benefit from an additional portion of the cap where they can give players more cash in pocket vs. northern teams all while pretending they don't benefit from revenue sharing. What makes me laugh is this notion that those same players all stuck around at market value. Verhaege is a great example, $1M for 2 years in FLA is $650K after tax, that same salary in NYC is $580K, that is not a small difference especially for those players where you can take a risk.


Doesn't change that the team has made the right moves at the right time, but let's not all sit here and pretend FLA/Tampa/Nashville/Dallas etc. haven't all gotten there pick of the UFA's the last few years as a result, especially amongst the guys that you've mentioned. You have an advantage and good on the teams who have it for flexing it, but don't pretend that you're on equal terms with the northern teams, it sounds like the rich kid whose dad got him a job then saying I've worked harder then everyone else. In particular because one man (bettman) has been trying to make this happen for years.

 

[ManofSteel55]

In a few years we'll all be asking again where are the fans in Florida.

Only if they return to bottom feeder status. I think its important to note that all of these American markets that struggle to fill the stands have had bad teams for a very long time. Why would local fans buy in to a team that is awful for an extended period of time when there are other options for sports near you? Arizona failed, but they never had a contender, rarely had a playoff team in the latter stages of the franchise. Atlanta moved to Winnipeg because they weren't turning enough profit, which likely would have changed if they were a team that ever was a threat to win. Carolina does well because they are almost always a playoff team, and a contender most years. The California teams don't seem to have attendance issues, at least not as bad as the Panthers used to, because they have all been Cup Champions or contenders for extended periods. It isn't the location that makes teams not draw fans. It's the team not giving fans a reason to come in markets that haven't bought in to the game yet.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

What hard times, when?

Sometimes someone's uncle will get their hand stuck in an alligator's rear end or try to hold up a liquor store wearing no pants

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Same regurgitated insults. You'd think people who have nothing to do other than watch hockey, would have the IQ to come up with some witty, new age quips. As boring the city their team plays in. Pathetic.

Same regurgitated insults. You’d think people who chill at the beach drinking mai-tais every day would just brush away such Canadian tomfoolery with their Panthers beach towels.

 

[Son of Nogatco]

People in Florida will celebrate, forget the next day, and get back to being the worst drivers in the States.

Worst drivers in the US are in the DC metro area.

 

[ManofSteel55]

you guy's aren't saints either , tanking for 10 straight first overalls to get McDavid. Nothing franchise without him honestly

You can't blame the fanbase for incompetent management.

I also want to point out that tanking and being awful are different things. Our management didn't "tank" until they knew the bottom had already fallen out of the team. We were headed for 1st overall anyway, on the backs of our key players aging out and falling apart with injuries (Hemsky, Horcoff), being traded for one reason or another (Pronger, Smyth), and our stupid management blowing all of our future assets on one cup run when they knew they wouldn't be able to maintain that depth the following year (Samsonov, Spacek). The worst thing that ever happened to the Oilers franchise was having an owner who was fooled by one great cup run meaning they were destined for long term success, when it was on the back of a superstar who didn't want to be there, and a bunch of role players who expected (and received) huge paydays based on a cup finals appearance.

I also want to point out that we actually only got two 1st overalls in years we were last. Hall and Nugent-Hopkins. We won the lottery to get Yakupov (yay us), and McDavid. I don't think its fair to suggest that winning the draft lottery is automatically "tanking".

 

[Son of Nogatco]

So many passionate fans in hockey markets won’t get to experience a cup win because of cap tax evasion and NHL favoritism. People in Florida will celebrate, forget the next day, and get back to being the worst drivers in the States. This cup win would mean a million times more to the city of Edmonton than Miami/Sunrise.

It’s special when the cup goes to a city where is cherished and celebrated for years instead of looked as an afterthought.

This woe is me whining is so pathetic

 

[Son of Nogatco]

you guy's aren't saints either , tanking for 10 straight first overalls to get McDavid. Nothing franchise without him honestly

lol no McDavid and theres a good chance there are 3 teams in Florida

 

[Dickie Dunn]

I’m a Minnesota fan. Die hard North Stars growing up, went to many games so late 70’s into the 80’s is the NHL hockey I grew up on. Is it weird for me now that sunny markets are the power house franchises? Yeah, real weird. But the Panthers, Lightning, Golden Knights, etc aren’t the Wild’s biggest problem. The Wild’s biggest problem is the Wild and figuring out how to be that good. Everything else is just fans whining. Congrats Panther fans!

 

[ShootIt]

While I agree the management has been good, especially at identifying players that fit the mould of the team there trying to play as. No state tax teams all benefit from an additional portion of the cap where they can give players more cash in pocket vs. northern teams all while pretending they don't benefit from revenue sharing. What makes me laugh is this notion that those same players all stuck around at market value. Verhaege is a great example, $1M for 2 years in FLA is $650K after tax, that same salary in NYC is $580K, that is not a small difference especially for those players where you can take a risk.


Doesn't change that the team has made the right moves at the right time, but let's not all sit here and pretend FLA/Tampa/Nashville/Dallas etc. haven't all gotten there pick of the UFA's the last few years as a result, especially amongst the guys that you've mentioned. You have an advantage and good on the teams who have it for flexing it, but don't pretend that you're on equal terms with the northern teams, it sounds like the rich kid whose dad got him a job then saying I've worked harder then everyone else. In particular because one man (bettman) has been trying to make this happen for years.

Oh yes, Gary Bettman creating the US and Canadian tax % for each state to allow the Sun Belt teams to win. Thanks for the silver spoon Bettman! Definitely is that over Toronto overpaying their core 4 off the bat, or Montreal being mid for decades and obsessing on who speaks french.

Or is this a simple minded take of since Bettman is trying to grow the game all around the US, to make the league more valuable it's clear favoritism to the SE?
I'm sure it was all 4d Chess by Bettman to suspend Coach Q indefinitely and then force Maurice to step down cause he knew it would cause the Panthers to go to 3 SC finals.

I

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I have said this a few times.

No tax states do have an advantage on retention of good players to keep and when good this is the result.

When they are bad or have bad management this is not the case.

Its an advantage be happy with the advantage.

 

[Cool Hand Puke]

From 1983 to 1990, a team from Alberta reached the Finals.

Florida needs 2 more years to match

It’s different because it’s canada

 

[SImpelton]

Has it increased the amount of youth in Florida wanting to take up hockey?

I hope so. Believe me, getting the Southern and Western markets turning out hockey talent would be a sea change in the relationship between US and Canadian men's hockey. If the nontraditional hocket markets get bit by the bug and start drawing talent away from the football and basketball teams, US men's hockey could become an international force for a very long time.

 

[SImpelton]

Part of the problem for Canadian teams is the the excuses the media makes for them bleeds into the franchise.

Everything is against them.

It was definitely a conspiracy Forsling cleared waivers and the Panthers found him.

Just sad baby excuse makers.

Canada will continue to not bring Cups home until they lose the entitlement.

 

[SImpelton]

Worst drivers in the US are in the DC metro area.

No, no, those are pretty bad but insurance companies have run the numbers for years, and while the areas you mentioned are in the lower percentiles, the absolute rock bottom is good old Bahhston. Masshole driving is a real thing, at least according to the insurance companies.

 

[pb1300]

Worst drivers in the US are in the DC metro area.

Nope. Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Tamarac. You have the half-moon 90 year old drivers, who only see between that half moon top part of the steering room.

 

[Catscountry40]

Has it increased the amount of youth in Florida wanting to take up hockey?

Yes, rinks are popping up every where.

Palm Beach Gardens approves $40 million ice rink backed by NHL legend Wayne Gretzky

Palm Beach Gardens City Council unanimously gave the greenlight to bring a $40 million ice rink complex backed by NHL legend Wayne Gretzky.

www.palmbeachpost.com

Canadian fans do not want the game to grow. They want to continue win Cups in a league with 6 teams.

Only if they return to bottom feeder status. I think its important to note that all of these American markets that struggle to fill the stands have had bad teams for a very long time. Why would local fans buy in to a team that is awful for an extended period of time when there are other options for sports near you? Arizona failed, but they never had a contender, rarely had a playoff team in the latter stages of the franchise. Atlanta moved to Winnipeg because they weren't turning enough profit, which likely would have changed if they were a team that ever was a threat to win. Carolina does well because they are almost always a playoff team, and a contender most years. The California teams don't seem to have attendance issues, at least not as bad as the Panthers used to, because they have all been Cup Champions or contenders for extended periods. It isn't the location that makes teams not draw fans. It's the team not giving fans a reason to come in markets that haven't bought in to the game yet.

Bingo. I am a huge Dolphins fan, but I am not dropping 700 bucks on tickets and parking to go see them when they are 2-6 in October in Florida. Which is one of the most beautiful times to be here.
I can do a billion other things. That doesn't make me less of fan.
I love the Marlins but I will not spend a dime on them until the owner commits to winning baseball.

 

[snag]

Canada will continue to not bring Cups home until they lose the entitlement.

Huh? So you are saying Canada isn't winning Cups because you perceive an attitude problem?

 

[Panteras]

Is no state tax an "advantage"? Sure..just like a great city, fans, history, weather, training facilities etc. etc.

We can point out a myriad of "advantages" that a team can benefit from. BUT, you STILL need to create a winning environment and a first class organization to make use of those advantages. Otherwise, players will still not want to go there.

We had the tax, city, and weather advantage for decades but had a horrid organization and had to overpay just to get a "good" players at the end of his career...

Fact is, an owner that actually cares, a goated GM and scouts, actual investment on the players and facilities has created a winning environment and led to a winning culture that helps the Panthers fully enjoy all advantages available. Now that we're successful, bitter fans will nitpick things here and there and zero in on X or Y, but the truth is simple, an owner that cares and no resources spared to give everyone what they need to succeed, a chess grand master GM that keeps making winning moves, and a great coach. Simple as..

 

[New User Name]

Canadian fans do not want the game to grow. They want to continue win Cups in a league with 6 teams.

Come on, there's a lot of Canadian fans congratulating Florida.
Don't go Trumpey like

 

[End on a Hinote]

I swear the NHL is the only sport where is some dumb f***ing complex of "we are better fans because of the dirt we were born on"

Well, when the Raptors won the NBA title in '19 there were a lot of angry fans south of our border that felt there shouldn't be a team in Canada, and that the title should never leave the US....

 

[New User Name]

Is no state tax an "advantage"? Sure..just like a great city, fans, history, weather, training facilities etc. etc.

We can point out a myriad of "advantages" that a team can benefit from. BUT, you STILL need to create a winning environment and a first class organization to make use of those advantages. Otherwise, players will still not want to go there.

We had the tax, city, and weather advantage for decades but had a horrid organization and had to overpay just to get a "good" players at the end of his career...

Fact is, an owner that actually cares, a goated GM and scouts, actual investment on the players and facilities has created a winning environment and led to a winning culture that helps the Panthers fully enjoy all advantages available. Now that we're successful, bitter fans will nitpick things here and there and zero in on X or Y, but the truth is simple, an owner that cares and no resources spared to give everyone what they need to succeed, a chess grand master GM that keeps making winning moves, and a great coach. Simple as..

Exactly. Good post.

 

[New User Name]

Well, when the Raptors won the NBA title in '19 there were a lot of angry fans south of our border that felt there shouldn't be a team in Canada, and that the title should never leave the US....

Some times Americans are arrogant, just like Canadians can be.
I remember when the Blue Jays won 2 world series in a row, the crap spewed by some in the states.

 

[End on a Hinote]

Canadian fans do not want the game to grow. They want to continue win Cups in a league with 6 teams.

Source?

I've seen many American fans saying they should get rid of all the Canadian teams, too.