from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

One year ago, a record $528 million was doled out to 89 unrestricted free agents over 183 years worth of contracts.

That was in a span of 12 hours on opening day of the 2014 NHL free-agent season.

Another few hundred million is sure to be spent on Wednesday.

But signing a $2 million contract to play for the Anaheim Ducks is not worth the same as signing a $2 million contract to play for the Florida Panthers. Choosing to play in Tampa Bay rather than San Jose could be the difference between earning another $300,000 a year, after taxes.

The average NHL player pays approximately $1,247,960 in income tax every year, or close to 45 per cent of the league average salary of $2.8 million. Federal, provincial, state and local taxes vary based on the location of the franchise. None of that takes into account the relative cost of living in each locale, such as the housing market.

There are many other factors for a player to consider before he signs on the dotted line.

continued