Former Maple Leafs Patrick Marleau and Jake Muzzin have found themselves in a similar position to John Tavares, locked in a legal battle with millions on the line.

Last Spring, a story had broke involving then Maple Leafs captain John Tavares entering into a legal battle with the Canada Revenue Agency over millions of dollars that the CRA claimed that Tavares owed over his substantial signing bonuses.

According to the National Post, there are now two more former Maple Leafs involved in similar lawsuits, as Patrick Marleau and Jake Muzzin are facing similar dilemmas.

“In his appeal, Marleau – a Canadian who played for the Leafs from 2017 to 2019 – said CRA is claiming over $3.8 million in combined federal and provincial taxes on his signing bonuses paid in the 2017 and 2018 tax years, as well as $180,000 in interest.

Muzzin – a former defenceman who joined the Leafs’ front office after a career-ending injury in 2022 – said in his appeal that CRA is claiming over $3.7 million in federal taxes and $131,000 in interest for the 2020 tax year,” said the National Post’s Christopher Nardi on the Marleau and Muzzin lawsuits.

David Alter of The Hockey News has also reported on the Marleau, Muzzin debacle, confirming that changes have been made to the language used pertaining to the bonus structures in Standard Player Contracts moving forward — though that won’t impact those currently dealing with lawsuits.

One potential long-term impact of these ongoing lawsuits is that players may be far more cautious and hesitant when it comes to signing contracts with the Maple Leafs and perhaps even other NHL clubs residing in Canada.

Naturally, the Maple Leafs are probably not overly enthused by the actions of the Canada Revenue Agency, and NHL fans all over Canada are likely cursing the agency as well, as it may prevent them from landing the player(s) they’re after in free agency, and/or locking up their own players long-term without the potential threat of the language used in their contracts opening them up to legal action.