The Las Vegas Golden Knights are heading back to the Western Conference Finals after securing a 4-2 second-round series win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, but it isn’t all good news in Sin City.
Following the 5-1 Game 6 win, longtime NHL coach John Tortorella did not line up for postgame handshakes, and he refused to speak to the media. Now, the league is making the Golden Knights pay for it.
On Friday, the NHL stripped Vegas of a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft for what it deemed a “flagrant” violation of league media policies. Tortorella was also personally fined $100,000 for his antics.
According to a report from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet 590 in Toronto, Las Vegas’ frustration stemmed from the NHL’s decision to suspend defenseman Brayden McNabb for Game 6 after a hit that injured Ducks forward Ryan Poehling in Game 5.
The league said the decision to strip the Golden Knights of a draft pick came after “previous warnings” about violations of media policy.
Las Vegas is hoping to defeat the Colorado Avalanche and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in the franchise’s short history. Perhaps capturing its second Stanley Cup would be enough of a consolation with one fewer pick coming in June’s draft.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Golden Knights’ severe punishment for media violations, explained
