Radko Gudas admits the government was part of the reason he didn't want to sign in Canada

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Josh tupper
August 8, 2023 (12:04)

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Earlier this summer Radko Gudas signed a contract with the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks appeared to be a surprising fit for Gudas, especially after it was widely reported teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers were all going to put offers in for Gudas. However, Gudas admitted he wasn't overly interested in playing in Canada due to the media attention.

In a recent interview, Gudas told iSport that the media wasn't the only reason he was as turned off by Canada. Gudas admitted that money, and more specifically how the Canadian government taxes the wealthy, turned the 33-year-old off from playing in Canada.

In Canada, you also start with taxes at more than fifty percent. You can't say that California is different in this regard. It has thirteen percent higher taxes than Florida

While financial considerations wasn't the only consideration taken into account, Gudas also openly admits he preferred the weather and role he'd play in Anaheim over both Calgary and Edmonton.

When I had the choice between Calgary, Edmonton and a team somewhere warm, Anaheim appealed to me more. But it wasn't about the weather, it was more about the role in the team, what they would want from me, and of course the financial side.

With sky, high taxes and many other considerations, this might not be the last time you see a player choose not to play in Canada. This could make getting players into the country much more difficult.