Who had Johnny Gaudreau signing in Ohio on their NHL free agency bingo card? Nobody? That’s what we thought. Columbus Blue Jackets fans are thrilled. The rest of us, well, we’re not mad, we’re just confused.
Okay, Philadelphia Flyers fans are definitely mad and confused.
Gaudreau seemingly left money on the table to sign in the city with a cannon. This after saying his choice of destination would be based on a “family decision.”
Just like the famous line from Lilo and Stitch, “ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind…unless you’re from Philadelphia, the Calgary Flames, the New Jersey Devils, or the New York Islanders.” At least that’s what Stitch said in the hockey version of the movie.
Johnny Gaudreau stunned everyone by signing with the Blue Jackets.
Why did Johnny Hockey choose the beautiful destination of Ohio? Here are a few ideas why.
Quick disclaimer, these are just thoughts and ideas we have as we try to make sense of his dark horse destination. We don’t have any inside knowledge from his wife’s neighbor’s cousin’s dog walker’s pizza delivery man’s dentist that these are Gaudreau’s personal reasons why.
After hearing Gaudreau:
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) July 14, 2022
1. He's did everything he could to avoid saying he wanted to be a Flyer. That's fine. It didn't work out. He seems happy with where he is.
2. I wish we could have heard a direct response to Treliving's "strong belief that this is a family decision" line.
The first reason that comes to mind is Vin Diesel’s favorite reason for doing literally anything in the “Fast and Furious” movie: for his family.
Ohio might not be the South Jersey town he grew up with, or the Philadelphia he loved so much, but it sure is a lot closer than Calgary. Gaudreau even explained as much in his introductory press conference.
Johnny Gaudreau said he wanted to play "relatively" closer to the East Coast.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) July 14, 2022
"I always dreamed about playing a tad closer to home. It didn't matter where I was signing. Our decision was it was best for us not to go back to Calgary." @BlueJacketsNHL @NHLFlames
Plus, Gaudreau likely took into consideration that not only is it close to his family, but is it good for his own family, such as his wife and their future kids.
Can his wife continue her career as a nurse in the area? His wife is a pediatric nurse, and apparently, some of the nation’s top children’s hospitals are in Ohio. Is it a good place to raise a family? Those questions likely came to mind.
The second reason is one that’s really nothing more than a fan theory, but we can understand it. Gaudreau loves the Flyers. He wanted to be with the Flyers. He basically waited all day, perhaps for the Flyers to try a Hail Mary to make it happen.
New Jersey may be close in location, but in terms of hockey rivalry, they are a world apart. Is it possible Johnny Hockey would have felt like a traitor to his younger self signing with such a huge rival? It seems very unlikely that was the reason, but so was the possibility he signed in Columbus.
The third and last reason (that we could think of) is taxes. Hockey players aren’t America’s founding fathers; they can’t just throw tea off a boat when they get mad at taxes. They can choose to play and live in a place with lower taxes, like Ohio.
Athletes lose a decent portion of their income to taxes. Taxes are a complicated thing, but former NHL player Chris Pronger gave a simplistic example to give you an idea.
When all these hockey analysts say Gaudreau “left money on the table” to sign with Columbus, did he really? We’re no mathematicians, but he might be making more when taxes are factored into the equation than he would in Philadelphia, New Jersey, or Calgary.
Less of his NHL paycheck is being taken by Uncle Sam (or Uncle Maple Leaf if you live in Canada). Not to mention, he doesn’t have to worry about any potential volatility with Canadian and American exchange rates. That remains an incredibly complex issue.
What the reason, Gaudreau has made up his mind. It could be a variety of reasons all mixed together. The possibility is maybe Gaudreau chose Columbus itself, and not the Blue Jackets.