Overview

• On TNT, analyst Paul Bissonnette suggested Florida’s lack of state income tax could give Panthers and Lightning an edge in attracting players.
• Fellow TNT analyst Anson Carter countered that no one raised the tax issue during the nearly 17 years Florida teams struggled.
• Ahead of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, Commissioner Bettman called the debate “ridiculous” and noted players don’t choose teams by consulting a tax table.
• Florida franchises have reached six consecutive Stanley Cup Finals—Tampa Bay from 2020–22 and Florida from 2023–25—intensifying discussion of tax impacts on league parity.
• Bissonnette later quipped on social media that the exchange was intended to boost engagement, writing “Get the people talking. Look at that engagement. Throwing Gary softballs.”