NHL 2022-2023: FA July 13th - LET IT BEGIN

[gmillerdrake]

You’ll have a hard time convincing me the draft isn’t “influenced”. Chicago just happens to win the Sweepstakes on the most coveted draft pick in years just as their two franchise players retire/leave? Really?

[TAC]

Wow.  Chicago actually leapfrogged two spots in the draft and now they get #1.

No surprise. The NHL was always going to put him in a major market.

[KevShmev]

Not surprised that the NHL found a way to get the Hawks the 1st pick, but the joke is on fans who still have to live in Chicago. 

(we will ignore than I live 15-20 minutes from St Louis City, which is just as bad)

[Nick]

Jfc people, it's a random draw. I hate that Chicago got it but take off the tin foil hats

[KevShmev]

If it is legit, why not show the draw on live TV? There is no reason whatsoever to not.

[Nick]

Because they are making TV best they can, it's not a news presentation.

[gmillerdrake]

Jfc people, it's a random draw. I hate that Chicago got it but take off the tin foil hats

Wish I shared your confidence. There’s zero chance there wasn’t shenanigans going on. If it was just me and three or four other people I’d maybe think I was crazy. But it’s not just me…..fans, players, owners and execs all know the lottery isn’t on the up and up

[TAC]

Because they are making TV best they can, it's not a news presentation.

That's why I don't watch TV. I already know how it's gonna end.

[Nick]

Jfc people, it's a random draw. I hate that Chicago got it but take off the tin foil hats

Wish I shared your confidence. There’s zero chance there wasn’t shenanigans going on. If it was just me and three or four other people I’d maybe think I was crazy. But it’s not just me…..fans, players, owners and execs all know the lottery isn’t on the up and up

Yeah, rigged just like the last election, JFK's assassination, and the moon landing.

[jingle.boy]

It’s a business. You think the NHL doesn’t have a vested interest where a player like Berard goes?  If it’s so legit, why not advertise that the draw has been audited by KPMG or something, like entertainment awards show used to.

I’m not as convinced as Gary that it’s fixed, but I’m also not issuing my blind faith that it’s 100% legit.

And yeah, Chicago should’ve had a ban against a top 5 pick for 5 years or something.

Apparently after the draw, Eric Lindross was trending. As was Kyle Beach. If only Berard had the stones to do what Lindross did.

[Nick]

https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/how-does-the-nhl-draft-lottery-drawing-work/c-306599032

There's been an article like this every year there has been a draft lottery that I can remember. If anyone has any actual evidence of this being fixed I'd love to see it, otherwise I'll chalk it up to there being more unhappy fanbases than one happy one right now drawing the conclusion they want to to wine the most.

[Anguyen92]

Ahhh, yes.  This page in the link looks like this was to hype the 2019 draft lottery in which the Kings went down from #2 to #5..... in which the Kings picked a guy that's been always injured and guys picked later like Trevor Zegras and Cole Caufield has been making strides in being respectable NHL players....

In that case, I would not say the lottery that year was rigged when teams like the Rangers and Chicago got picks before the Kings where they got players that's been traded (like Kirby Dach) or maybe be rumored to get traded (like Kaapo Kakko).  Devils had the Taylor Hall luck at the time, so that's how they got their 2nd #1 overall pick in three years at that point.

[Stadler]

https://www.nhl.com/kings/news/how-does-the-nhl-draft-lottery-drawing-work/c-306599032

There's been an article like this every year there has been a draft lottery that I can remember. If anyone has any actual evidence of this being fixed I'd love to see it, otherwise I'll chalk it up to there being more unhappy fanbases than one happy one right now drawing the conclusion they want to to wine the most.

That, unfortunately, leads to more questions than it answers.   So they draw FOUR balls and "construct" the four-digit code?   There are something like 10,000 combinations of four digits using the numbers one through nine (though I think that includes repeat numbers; I read that about PINs somewhere).  If no repetitions, it's something like 3,000 (I looked that up).   SO if they don't get one of the 15 teams, which is exceedingly likely what do they do?

[axeman90210]

Absent anything more than fans yelling, I'm in the same boat as Nick. If the draft was rigged than the Rangers would have gotten Hughes in 2019 instead of getting #2 while watching their rivals jump to #1.

Much better game for the Devils on Sunday, hoping they can keep the momentum going tonight. I think being the home team really helped us out as we were able to keep Hughes and Meier away from the Jordan Staal line that shut them down so well in the first two games. That doesn't speak well for the series as a whole since we only get three home games, but hopefully we can build some confidence and that can provide a boost for the road games.

Fun fact from Sunday's win, the Devils became the 4th team to surrender three shorthanded goals in one game, and the third of the four teams to go on to win the game.

[TAC]

https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/37588722/avalanc-gabriel-landeskog-having-cartilage-transplant

Gabriel Landeskog to miss next year!

[pg1067]

Jfc people, it's a random draw. I hate that Chicago got it but take off the tin foil hats

Wish I shared your confidence. There’s zero chance there wasn’t shenanigans going on. If it was just me and three or four other people I’d maybe think I was crazy. But it’s not just me…..fans, players, owners and execs all know the lottery isn’t on the up and up

Yeah, rigged just like the last election, JFK's assassination, and the moon landing.

Exactly.  You can say "there's no chance there were no shenanigans," but why?  Why is there NO chance that this was done fairly?  Does the NHL (as a league) have a vested interest in sending a highly touted player to a major market?  I suppose, but it also has an interest in maintaining the integrity of the game.  Also, the owners of the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets have ZERO interest in ensuring that Chicago gets the #1 pick.  If there were "shenanigans," why wouldn't any of the people who observed the drawing say something publicly?  You simply can't have a conspiracy of this magnitude without some evidence of it getting out.*

If we want to say that the league is favoring big markets, how is it that small market Edmonton was "allowed" to have the #1 overall pick three years in a row and four times in six years, and small market Buffalo was "allowed" to get the #1 pick in 2018 and 2021?  Why didn't they let a big market team like Toronto or New Jersey or Boston win the 2015 lottery and draft McDavid?  Despite Canada having only 7 of 30-32 teams, Canadian teams have won 6 of the last 14 draft lotteries.  So...we're favoring Canadian teams?

While Anaheim had more than twice as much chance of winning as Chicago, that doesn't mean it was rigged.  A coin has approximately 50% chance of landing on either side, but sometimes it will land on the same side several times in a row.  That doesn't mean it's rigged.  It simply proves it's random.

* - Just one of many articles on this topic:  https://arstechnica.com/science/2016/02/large-scale-conspiracies-are-mathematically-impossible-to-keep-quiet/

[TAC]

Why didn't they let a big market team like Toronto or New Jersey or Boston win the 2015 lottery and draft McDavid?  Despite Canada having only 7 of 30-32 teams, Canadian teams have won 6 of the last 14 draft lotteries.  So...we're favoring Canadian teams?

Because..
1. Edmonton is in Canada, and
2. It was Buffalo.


Also..generational talents.. McDavid went to Edmonton, CANADA, and Matthews went to Toronto, CANADA. The next highest rated first round pick was Lafreniere and he went to NY.

There is no way in hell Bedard was going to Columbus. No chance.

[Anguyen92]

Well, at least, Bedard is not going to Anaheim or San Jose.  I can get behind that.  The Ducks will still get someone good at #2.

Lafreniere could have ended up a Leafs as well and that ping pong ball almost made it out, but physics prevented that from happening.

[gmillerdrake]

There is no way in hell Bedard was going to Columbus. No chance.

Nope. The NHL wasn't going to allow the Chicago arena that seats 20k fans a night to continue to draw piss poor crowds. It's a huge market and maybe they didn't just hand pick the lotto order but it wasn't random. As Tim said.....Bedard was NEVER going to fuc%ing Columbus. You don't need to wear a tin foil hat to understand there is way too much money to be made by Bedard going to Chicago rather than Columbus or San Jose.

[Nick]

You do need the tin foil hat.

https://theathletic.com/4500971/2023/05/09/nhl-draft-lottery-chicago-blackhawks-connor-bedard?source=user-shared-article

[pg1067]

So...it's conceivable that the New York based NHL is favoring a small, western Canadian team over a team in Toronto, New Jersey or Boston (to the point that that team won 4 draft lotteries in 6 years), but it's inconceivable that Chicago could have fairly won last night's lottery?

You do need the tin foil hat.

FYI, Nick, the Athletic article is paywalled.

[TAC]

So...it's conceivable that the New York based NHL is favoring a small, western Canadian team over a team in Toronto, New Jersey or Boston (to the point that that team won 4 draft lotteries in 6 years), but it's inconceivable that Chicago could have fairly won last night's lottery?

You do need the tin foil hat.

FYI, Nick, the Athletic article is paywalled.

Is The Athletic written in Chicago?

[Anguyen92]

If you stop the page loading at the right time, you can actually read the Athletic article without needing to pay or use an account there.  I stopped paying for it when they decided to let go of the Kings beat writer at the time, Lisa Dillman, and decided that Eric Stephens (whose also the Ducks writer) do double duty.  I mean Stephens does a fine job with the Kings coverage, but it's hard for me to care about the Athletic when they made the decision to just have only one writer cover both SoCal teams rather than have separate writers.

[Stadler]

Not saying you're all wrong, not at all, but for those that think it's a conspiracy, where does that start and where does that end?   Why would the Bruins AND Rangers been sacked in the first round?  I can see wanting the Devils in, but the Panthers? 

[gmillerdrake]

FYI, Nick, the Athletic article is paywalled.

SECAUCUS, N.J. — About 30 minutes before the NHL holds its annual draft lottery, league commissioner Gary Bettman is making small talk and snacking on chips in a small room just down the hallway from the NHL Network’s studio.

He steps away from a brief conversation about the draft order and declares which outcome he’s rooting for. “I root for no controversy,” he said, smiling.

Well, almost.

The NHL draft lottery itself went off without a hitch or a hiccup on Monday. Chicago won the Connor Bedard sweepstakes by jumping from No. 3 to No. 1 in the draft order, pushing Anaheim into the No. 2 overall pick and Columbus to the No. 3 overall pick.

It was on the TV show about an hour later — when the draft order was revealed to the public via ESPN — that the flub occurred. As the network cut to a commercial break with the top three picks still a mystery, broadcaster Kevin Weekes spoiled the surprise.

“And there’s our first change in the order,” Weekes said, “with Columbus dropping to third, so now either Anaheim or Chicago will select first overall.”

Wait. What?

It wasn’t until the show returned from break — which must have seemed like an eternity to those watching at home — that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed Weekes’ slip-up by flipping over the No. 3 placard to reveal the Blue Jackets’ logo.

Both Weekes and the NHL declined to comment. A source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic that a production error fed the wrong words into the teleprompter that Weekes was using, and that it wasn’t just a passing comment by the former NHL goaltender and veteran broadcaster.

Most importantly, it had no impact on the actual draft order, which was determined approximately an hour before the TV show. It only ruined the surprise element of the draft, particularly in Columbus, where fans gathered at a local brewery for a watch party.

“It was pretty evident what was going to happen (when they came back from break),” Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said. “It spoiled the moment, I guess.”

What makes the mistake so surprising is that the NHL takes such great pains to make sure that the lottery is executed with strict adherence to so many minute details, with multiple checks and balances and independent eyes on the process.

On Monday, The Athletic was one of three media outlets granted permission to witness the lottery in person, a behind-the-scenes look at one of the league’s most tedious and important events. Here’s what it looks like from the inside:

6 p.m. ET: The league gathers all of the lottery witnesses in a small room. There are about 20 people in the room, including the three media members and two NHL franchise representatives: Philadelphia Flyers director of hockey operations Tom Minton and Alex Meruelo Jr., son of Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo and the club’s chief brand officer.

A little while later, Bettman’s grandson, Matthew, arrives to watch.

6:11 p.m. NHL spokesman John Dellapina lays out the guidelines to those who have not witnessed a lottery previously.

Cellphones will be put into brown envelopes for safekeeping so that nobody will spoil the surprise. Laptops will be taken, too. “Does anybody have an Apple watch or something similar?” Dellapina asks. “That’s gotta come off, too.”

No devices that can link to the internet are allowed once the lottery starts because the league does not want the lottery results leaked before the TV show. (Insert joke here.)

6:15 p.m. Bettman can work a room. He’s in a good mood and wants to talk hockey, sitting down next to his grandson in front of the three writers to get thoughts on the postseason: “Who do you like in the Cup finals?” he asks. It’s a light-hearted, relaxed chat.

The league hands out a five-paper collection of the pre-determined lottery numbers that have been assigned to all lottery teams. There are 1,000 different number combinations. There are 255 combinations that will result in the Ducks winning the lottery, 135 for the Blue Jackets, 115 for the Blackhawks, etc.

6:39 p.m. Steve Mayer, the NHL’s Vice President of Events and Entertainment, breaks the murmuring in the room. “In six minutes we’re going to do this.”

6:40 p.m. Cellphones, laptops, etc., are taken from everybody in the room. Nervous twitching commences. The camera kicks on in the back of the room. This is all being recorded.

6:44 p.m. Bettman walks to the front of the room as says, “Is it that time?” In his hands, he holds a small stack of papers … the lottery rules. The reading of the rules takes longer than the actual draw itself, but Bettman reads every last line.

6:55 p.m. This is old school. Bettman, to prove that this is a live recording on May 8, 2023, holds up not one, but three daily newspapers: The Bergen Record, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

6:57 p.m. Bettman introduces Martin Gorbachik, a lottery technician with Smartplay International, which, according to its website, “preserves drawing integrity for lottery and gaming organizations in 126 countries.” Gorbachik grabs a briefcase that holds the 14 numbered lottery balls that will be used to draw the four-digit combinations that will reveal the first and second overall picks.

Then Bettman introduces Steve Clarke from the accounting firm Ernst & Young, who sits to Bettman’s left at a table with two stacks of papers: one the lottery rules, and two the number combinations that apply to the clubs in the lottery.

Then he introduces the three media members and two club representatives. All are asked to wave toward the camera.

7 p.m. Gorbachik opens the briefcase and begins lifting the numbered ping-pong balls out of the briefcase, showing them to the camera and dropping them into a collection tube attached to the lottery machine. Bettman says the numbers firmly like he’s Count von Count from Sesame Street.

With all the balls approved and into the collection tube, Gorbachik is instructed to drop them into the machine. A lever is pulled, they tumble into the bin and the machine is started.

7:02 p.m. Thomas Meaney, an NHL VP of events, is positioned approximately 15 feet away from the lottery matchine with his back to the rest of the room. He is instructed by Bettman to shout “draw” every 20 seconds so that Gorbachik, who stands by the device, can’t be accused to timing his level pull to let a ball shoot up the cylinder.

Meaney has done this for several years. It’s not clear how the job fell to him, Dellapina said — he’s just good at it. After about 20 seconds, the first shout: “Draw!”

And right like that, the lottery is started, first to determine the No. 1 overall draft pick. The numbers are revealed in the span of 80 seconds: 5-13-4-9. (The order isn’t important, but they’re rearranged quickly — 4-5-9-13 — to make it easier for Clarke to look up the winner.)

“And the winner is…?” Bettman said. Clarke, after a momentary pause as he scrolls through the sea of numbers, finds the match: “Chicago Blackhawks,” he said. The room is absolutely quiet except for the humming of the lottery machine.

A few people are tracing through the numbers to see how this fell. Vancouver had 4-5-9-12. Columbus had 4-5-9-14. So close.

7:04 p.m. The same ping-pong balls are loaded back into the machine and allowed to bounce around for several seconds. (This is a great argument against those who would suggest the ping-pong balls are somehow manipulated to get a certain result. If that’s so, why don’t the same balls deliver the same numbers repeatedly?)

7:05 p.m. The second draw commences. 9-8-10-6. Clarke quickly looks up 6-8-9-10 and declares the winner of the second pick. “The Anaheim Ducks.”

And right like that, the draft lottery is finished.

This event, which has been front-of-mind for multiple clubs ever since Bedard became a rock star at the IIHF World Juniors Championship last winter, was over quicker than some of Bedard’s shifts with the Regina Pats.

7:08 p.m. Bettman seems delighted with how the draft was executed. He comes over to chat again with the media members about the results. He asks if anybody has seen Bedard play in person and how they think he compares to some of the great players in the game.

He also makes it clear that Daly asks not to be informed of the lottery results until he learns them himself through the TV show. Daly is not in the room, obviously, and nobody is allowed to leave the room except for those involved in the TV production, who need to get working on the event.

7:12 p.m. At a table on the far side of the room, the placards are removed from a carrying case and placed in front of league staffers. They take the draft order that was just established and order the cards accordingly so that Daly can flip them over one by one at the high-top table on the TV show set.

Repeatedly, they go over the order to make sure everything matches.

7:23 p.m. Bettman is called over to inspect the pile of logos, to make sure — one final time — that they’re in the correct order. Then the pile is watched ever so closely for the next 30 minutes before the TV show gets ready to start.

7:38 p.m. After more small talk, Bettman and his grandson leave for dinner. The lottery is Bettman’s operation, but the TV show is all Daly.

8 p.m. The show is about to start. An ESPN camera is stationed in the hallway and the placards are carried toward the studio by Clarke, the Ernst & Young accountant. ESPN’s John Buccigross welcomes in a TV audience before Game 3 of the Edmonton-Vegas series and sets the stage for the Bedard sweepstakes.

8:02 p.m. A joke is made — the first of many — about how twitchy the reporters appear to be, knowing the results and not being able to share them via social media or their websites.

8:09 p.m. Did Weekes just say that?

8:12 p.m. Daly flips over the final three placards: Columbus, then the winner, Chicago, and finally Anaheim. The lottery is finished. So is the TV show. The first went better than the second.

[gmillerdrake]

Not saying you're all wrong, not at all, but for those that think it's a conspiracy, where does that start and where does that end?   Why would the Bruins AND Rangers been sacked in the first round?  I can see wanting the Devils in, but the Panthers?

I don't think the games are scripted or fixed. But I also don't think the lottery is 'random' in the way they described it.....even with the Article Nick mentions and that I just copy/pasted for all to read.

I hope Bedard refuses to play or report to the Blackhawks citing the molestation and cover up.

[Anguyen92]

I understand people feeling like not enough retribution has been made or warranted on the Blackhawks for what they have done when it comes to the organization's role in the cover-up and that they haven't really done enough in the aftermath for people to trust in them as an organization to do the proper thing when something critical has happened from within.

That being said, it's funny how people are hoping Bedard does not report to the Blackhawks.  Sure, let's have this guy who has not turned 18 yet until July, whose been working his entire life to get to where he is.  Have exceled in every team he has been a part of in the Junior league and on international competition.  Been touted as the consensus top pick in his draft year for a good long time.  And when it comes to finding out whose that team that's going to pick him, knowing what they have done in the past, he's just going to say no?  Pass up on the best opportunity to fulfill his dream to be in the NHL?  Pass up a chance to make a boatload of money when the best opportunity presents itself?

People want him to be a martyr for the Blackhawks' actions at this point?  Would it really make people feel better in the grand scheme of things?  People can also say Blackhawks should trade the pick and that could be enough of reparation.  Well, unless that guy they are getting back is either McDavid or Matthews, that's just not happening.

Now look, this whole saga regarding the Blackhawks is an ugly mark and we all know that.  I do hope the organization there are working harder than ever before to ensure something like this and other related situations does not happen on their watch ever again and if it does, it gets reported done, no questions asked.  Maybe I'm just too naive and hopeful like that.

[pg1067]

On a non-NHL note, a guy at work told me about this Netflix documentary relating to the former minor league Danbury Trashers.  Absolutely bat shit crazy stuff.  Check it out if you haven't seen it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untold%3A_Crimes_%26_Penalties

[jingle.boy]

Regarding paywalls... open the site in "reader" mode on Chrome (I assume other browsers have a similar feature) bypasses most (all?) paywalls.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I don’t think the problem is whether the draft was rigged or not. I think the problem is that Chicago still had their first round pick after the Kyle Beach incident in the first place. They were fined 2.5 million dollars, and they made more than that within the first hour after winning the draft lottery, so it’s like they not only weren’t punished for covering up a sexual assault, but they were instead rewarded for it.

[TAC]

I don’t think the problem is whether the draft was rigged or not. I think the problem is that Chicago still had their first round pick after the Kyle Beach incident in the first place. They were fined 2.5 million dollars, and they made more than that within the first hour after winning the draft lottery, so it’s like they not only weren’t punished for covering up a sexual assault, but they were instead rewarded for it.

I couldn't remember what the actual punishment was. They were not stripped of a First Round pick? Huh.

[TheCountOfNYC]

I don’t think the problem is whether the draft was rigged or not. I think the problem is that Chicago still had their first round pick after the Kyle Beach incident in the first place. They were fined 2.5 million dollars, and they made more than that within the first hour after winning the draft lottery, so it’s like they not only weren’t punished for covering up a sexual assault, but they were instead rewarded for it.

I couldn't remember what the actual punishment was. They were not stripped of a First Round pick? Huh.

But Arizona was stripped of two picks for doing combine testing literally a day early. Make it make sense.

[pg1067]

I don’t think the problem is whether the draft was rigged or not. I think the problem is that Chicago still had their first round pick after the Kyle Beach incident in the first place. They were fined 2.5 million dollars, and they made more than that within the first hour after winning the draft lottery, so it’s like they not only weren’t punished for covering up a sexual assault, but they were instead rewarded for it.

I couldn't remember what the actual punishment was. They were not stripped of a First Round pick? Huh.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I can't conceive why the team ought to have been competitively hampered by something like this.  Lots of people lost jobs over this.  Call a $2M fine inconsequential, but none of us are privy to the NHL's governing documents such that we know even what's possible here.

[gmillerdrake]

I don’t think the problem is whether the draft was rigged or not. I think the problem is that Chicago still had their first round pick after the Kyle Beach incident in the first place. They were fined 2.5 million dollars, and they made more than that within the first hour after winning the draft lottery, so it’s like they not only weren’t punished for covering up a sexual assault, but they were instead rewarded for it.

I couldn't remember what the actual punishment was. They were not stripped of a First Round pick? Huh.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I can't conceive why the team ought to have been competitively hampered by something like this.  Lots of people lost jobs over this.  Call a $2M fine inconsequential, but none of us are privy to the NHL's governing documents such that we know even what's possible here.

Because rather than do the right thing they covered it up to make sure they were able to win those Cups. They should have absolutely been hampered due to their choices. They were dishonest and chose greed and success over an individuals well being.

Should have never been eligible for a top 5 pick for ‘X’ amount of years

[TheCountOfNYC]

I don’t think the problem is whether the draft was rigged or not. I think the problem is that Chicago still had their first round pick after the Kyle Beach incident in the first place. They were fined 2.5 million dollars, and they made more than that within the first hour after winning the draft lottery, so it’s like they not only weren’t punished for covering up a sexual assault, but they were instead rewarded for it.

I couldn't remember what the actual punishment was. They were not stripped of a First Round pick? Huh.

Maybe I'm the only one, but I can't conceive why the team ought to have been competitively hampered by something like this.  Lots of people lost jobs over this.  Call a $2M fine inconsequential, but none of us are privy to the NHL's governing documents such that we know even what's possible here.

Because rather than do the right thing they covered it up to make sure they were able to win those Cups. They should have absolutely been hampered due to their choices. They were dishonest and chose greed and success over an individuals well being.

Should have never been eligible for a top 5 pick for ‘X’ amount of years

Stripping them of multiple first rounders would have done the trick.