Former NHL star Brett Hull believes the United States has a significant advantage over Canada in the battle to attract the next generation of talent.
The Canadian-born forward knows what it takes to succeed in the NHL after making a name for himself with several top clubs in North America.
Hull was a prolific scorer at junior level for the Penticton Knights before Calgary Flames selected him in the sixth round of the 1984 NHL Draft.
He subsequently made his mark for the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA, racking up 144 points in 90 appearances over two seasons.
Hull eventually established himself with the Flames before becoming the scourge of bookmakers who set the NHL betting markets.
His exploits with St Louis Blues, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings made him a popular pick with punters on the NHL lines for first goalscorer in each game.
Hull’s move to the United States saw him follow a familiar path among many top Canadian players, who are regularly lured away by clubs south of the border.
The talent drain has made it tough for Canadian teams to keep pace with their US counterparts, with Stanley Cup success proving hard to come by.
The Montreal Canadiens’ triumph over Los Angeles Kings in 1993 was the last time a Canadian team got their hands on the prestigious trophy.
Although the NHL Draft allows Canadian teams the chance to sign the best home-grown talent, many of them are soon enticed to the US.
While the free agency market provides an opportunity to bring players back home, Hull believes US teams have a major advantage over their Canadian counterparts.
“Looking at it from a team’s point of view, with the economy, the taxes, the weather - it’s hard to get superstar free agents to come and play for your team because of where they're situated,” Hull said.
“It's great to be a part of a Canadian franchise, but there's also a lot of great teams in the United States and a lot of states that have no state tax.
“So that's part of the problem, and that's probably one of the reasons why it's been such a drought.”
Taxation is undoubtedly a major issue for Canadian ice hockey players, with several elements making a significant dent in their annual income.
They are required to pay federal, provincial and local taxes on their income, with the rates varying dependent on which province they play in.
However, some federal taxes are set at 50 percent, which highlights why so many Canadian players end up plying their trade in the US.
Hull believes the Canadian government must do more to help the country’s NHL teams compete on an equal footing with US franchises.
“They somehow have to be able to make it financially more suitable for players to come up there and play,” Hull added.
“The cities, the people, are fantastic. Being a part of a Canadian team, you're treated like gold.
“But I just think it's hard to lure free agents and it's hard to keep people into multi-year contracts because they just want to play theirs out and leave. That’s the biggest problem.”
