Quote:
Originally Posted by Classic_Sniper
What’s with all the vitriol here. We all knew Johnny wasn’t coming back already. We all knew he was going to play out east in the EST. We all knew it wasn’t about the money. What’s the difference between him signing in NJ for $10M vs Columbus for $9.5M? Is it strictly because he chose Columbus over our city and that’s some kind of slight against our town?
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Yeah, I don’t get the fury. No doubt he would have preferred NJ or Philly. But he’s still closer to home, not in Canada anymore, easier for family to visit.
Living in the U.S. obviously has a lot of value to Gaudreau and other American players. There were rumblings during the pandemic that many American NHLers were not at all happy with how restricted they were in Canada. Then you have the climate, international customs for families (in a country where most people don’t even own passports), taxes, etc.
This is just the way the league is going. NHL markets are breaking into clear tiers, and small-market Canadian teams are at the bottom - yes, even below American markets like Columbus. In that light, Gaudreau’s decision isn’t baffling at all.
As for the relative competitiveness of the teams, I honestly don’t think that matters much to UFAs. It’s only a big deal to vets in the twilight of their careers chasing a Cup.