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Do UFAs avoid Montréal? If so, why?

JLP

JLP

Refugee
Aug 16, 2005
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UFA season is upon us, and with it the arguments that plenty of these players choose to avoid the Habs. If so, what are the main reasons?

1. Is it that we're not seen as a contender? (I think we are close to being contenders.)

2. Is it "the pressure" of this market? (There's a relative loss of privacy off-ice when playing in Montreal, but it is the world's premier hockey city wouldn't some players thrive on that?)

3. Is it that the players' kids would have to go to a French-language school? (I think most millionaires can afford to send their kids to private school, does the Habs organization help with such logistics of relocation?)

4. Is it that the income tax rate is significantly higher in Québec?

5. The long cold winters?

Please let's not let this sink to a Québec-bashing thread. I seriously wonder if the "UFA avoid Montréal" phenomenon is real, and if so, why?
Click to read more...
 
AntonCH

AntonCH

Registered User
Jul 6, 2009
2,213
12
Its all about the:
Money
Money
Term
Term and Money
taxes - net money
Chance to win
Team tradition heritage etc (for some)
ability to buy groceries in peace
chance to become a demi-god in a hockey mad city

almost exactly in this order, Hockey is a business; players are referred to as assets. I for one would look at it exactly the way detailed here.
 
Number 57

Number 57

Registered User
Dec 21, 2004
11,651
2,281
Montreal
Lots of pressure and scrutiny

Gets very cold in the winter

Higher tax rates

If I was a player you can bet those are 3 things I'd avoid. Well maybe not the first one.

But then again, I don't get why québécois don't come to Montreal more often. This team means so much to the people here. Like Lecavalier, I mean what the hell? If I was a free agent, you couldn't stop me from signing in Montreal, even for a paycut! That would be my dream.
 
Habssince89

Habssince89

trolls to the IL
Sponsor
Apr 14, 2009
8,550
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Vancouver, BC
In no order:

Tax, Pressure (fan and media), weather, incompetent management.

I think the 4th one could be done with (hopefully).

And frankly the cap should be amended for high-tax areas. For example, Montreal could sign someone for more than other teams but the cap hit should be after tax. Levels the playing field. Anyone think I'm on to something, or am I way off?
 
CaptainBenn

CaptainBenn

Registered User
Sep 8, 2012
5,512
431
they grow up in Canada, cold winters are part of who they are but when they get the chance to play pro here they escape?
winters should NEVER be an excuse to any canadian player
excuses for the weaks
 
Stiffler

Stiffler

Registered User
Jul 24, 2005
847
0
St-Hubert
I don't think they avoid Montreal, I think it's Montreal fans - myself included - that sometimes forget there are 30 teams in the league to choose from and that many teams have legitimate positives to offer those players... Lecavalier and Briere were from Montreal, but players like Hossa or even Brett Hull back in 2001 probably considered Montreal as just one of the offers received.

I for one don't believe that taxes are that much of an issue compared to the team's status and cup chances. I think that's the one thing that killed us.

For the record, here's a chart I found recently, surprisingly, the difference is not that big between MTL and a team that attracts a lot of UFAs, the NYR:
http://i.imgur.com/bpFRD.gif
 

Figaro95*

Guest
They're mentally weak and greedy?

I understand it's a difficult market to play in because of the pressure, taxes, and accountability.

If these 3 things are too much for you, we shouldn't want them. This organization should only want the best that care, have our favourite word "character", and understand the term class. We will get some big name UFA's, it just takes time when you have to search through the **** to find your gems.
 
SnapVirus

SnapVirus

Registered User
Jul 16, 2010
4,472
1,695
Mtl., QC.
If I could become a Superstar in Montreal I would. My after career would be safe. I could sleep with ALL the women I'd like. The muthaphukkin King.
 
JLP

JLP

Refugee
Aug 16, 2005
10,706
576
StellerEller said:
In no order:

Tax, Pressure (fan and media), weather, incompetent management.

I think the 4th one could be done with (hopefully).

And frankly the cap should be amended for high-tax areas. For example, Montreal could sign someone for more than other teams but the cap hit should be after tax. Levels the playing field. Anyone think I'm on to something, or am I way off?
Click to expand...

I've also wondered about the NHL doing this. The computations would be complex but I agree it could level the playing field. Doubt it would happen though because the other teams wouldn't support a policy that only benefited the Habs.

On "incompetent management" I don't think the Habs are viewed this way any longer, they've been eclipsed by other franchises' incompetence in recent years.
 
TennisMenace

TennisMenace

Registered User
Jul 3, 2008
2,420
191
Buffalo
JLP said:
UFA season is upon us, and with it the arguments that plenty of these players choose to avoid the Habs. If so, what are the main reasons?

1. Is it that we're not seen as a contender? (I think we are close to being contenders.)

2. Is it "the pressure" of this market? (There's a relative loss of privacy off-ice when playing in Montreal, but it is the world's premier hockey city wouldn't some players thrive on that?)

3. Is it that the players' kids would have to go to a French-language school? (I think most millionaires can afford to send their kids to private school, does the Habs organization help with such logistics of relocation?)

4. Is it that the income tax rate is significantly higher in Québec?

5. The long cold winters?

Please let's not let this sink to a Québec-bashing thread. I seriously wonder if the "UFA avoid Montréal" phenomenon is real, and if so, why?
Click to expand...

You covered it, but I would add one more -

If I'm a skilled player I wouldn't go to Habs because I know they do not have anyone watching out for me and keeping opposing players honest. Skilled players are always abused on Montreal much more than teams like Boston or Flyers.

I'd rather go to Boston because I know if someone hits me hard while I'm a Bruin, you will have to pay for it very soon.
 
Agnostic

Agnostic

11 Stanley Cups
Jun 24, 2007
8,409
2
StellerEller said:
In no order:

Tax, Pressure (fan and media), weather, incompetent management.

I think the 4th one could be done with (hopefully).

And frankly the cap should be amended for high-tax areas. For example, Montreal could sign someone for more than other teams but the cap hit should be after tax. Levels the playing field. Anyone think I'm on to something, or am I way off?
Click to expand...

This has been talked about and proposed on this board many times. I've never even heard of it being discussed at the Board of Governors level, but I can't see it gaining traction because you have 23 US based teams that love it this way.
 
Kimota

Kimota

ROY DU NORD!!!
Nov 4, 2005
39,330
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These guys have been pampered a huge part of their lives. Even the Quebecers, they're not like normal folks that grew up in Quebec, they are different than you and me, they lived the high life and their heads is somewhere else. I know a guy that plays College hockey, he looks good, gets all the women he wants and I don't think he's ever paid for a diner. And that's someone who's never even played in the Q. So can you imagine NHL players? It's that + a hundred times. That's why hockey players are so dumb, they never had to force themselves to do anything other than the physical stuff. Everything is handed to them. And they play a game for a living. The days of the heart and soul types like Maurice Richard, working all day, moving his brother-in-law at night and playing hockey all bruised up are over.
 
SnapVirus

SnapVirus

Registered User
Jul 16, 2010
4,472
1,695
Mtl., QC.
The other thing is that we dont have a Crosby, Malkin, Kane, Toews, Hossa, Datsyuk, Giroux.

When you are an offensive player you want to play with other stars. So you know that youll have nice personnal stats.
 
1993

1993

Registered User
Feb 20, 2012
953
91
Calgary
Agnostic said:
This has been talked about and proposed on this board many times. I've never even heard of it being discussed at the Board of Governors level, but I can't see it gaining traction because you have 23 US based teams that love it this way.
Click to expand...

Good luck with that one. Try voting out the socialists. I could not believe the difference in taxes between Que and Alberta. On a $2 million salary they take almost half and $300,000 more than in Alberta. What do they do with all that money along with all the equalization?

TennisMenace also had a great point about skilled players not wanting to come here because they have no protection.
 
Connor McJesus

Connor McJesus

Praise
Apr 6, 2011
2,698
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StellerEller said:
In no order:

Tax, Pressure (fan and media), weather, incompetent management.

I think the 4th one could be done with (hopefully).

And frankly the cap should be amended for high-tax areas. For example, Montreal could sign someone for more than other teams but the cap hit should be after tax. Levels the playing field. Anyone think I'm on to something, or am I way off?
Click to expand...

Income tax laws change all the time. Such a structure would be a nightmare to manage year in year out. For every team, and for the league who would have to monitor every state/province's regulation.
 

Hoople

Registered User
Mar 7, 2011
16,193
121
Team culture.

If you were a talented forward UFA, would you really want to come to Montreal after watching the fiasco in Ottawa?

NHL players watch the playoff games just like we do. They saw Gallagher pounded shift after shift without anyone stepping up to stop it. Eller was dropped and nothing happened. Therrien whined to the media and embarrassed himself and this organization with his performance.

To attract big names, you have to have a complete change in hockey philosophy as reflected on the ice. Until then, we will watch the Lecavalier's of the NHL go to other teams where they need to only focus on playing hockey.

We will see what Bergevin does in the next week or so to address this issue.........if he does anything at all.
 
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