An NHL insider is claiming that some of the best hockey minds around believe the most recent draft lottery was rigged.
Last offseason kicked off quite the saga as talk of teams tanking began swirling, with Connor Bedard coveted by just about every franchise in the league. Of course, there were teams already being considered contenders so they weren’t thought to be mulling over the tank. But it was a different story for the ones who had no hope.
By the end of it all, there were 11 teams in the race for the No. 1 overall pick. The Anaheim Ducks were the favorites to land said pick when the lottery took place on Monday night as they were given an 18.5 percent chance, with the Columbus Blue Jackets at 13.5 percent and the Chicago Blackhawks at 11.5 percent.
The Blackhawks ended up with the pick as the Blue Jackets got the bronze and the Ducks got silver. So Bedard is likely to be in Chicago next season unless something outlandish happens.
Chicago has already reaped the rewards of securing the No. 1 overall pick as they’ve been selling an incredible number of tickets, even with many fans feeling like they shouldn’t have even been in contention after allegedly covering up a sex scandal.
The Blackhawks getting the first overall pick bodes well for the NHL as Bedard should be playing in a decent market on an Original Six team. This has led to many fans accusing the league of conspiring to get the 17-year-old center in Chicago.
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The Draft Lottery Conspiracy Runs Deeper
According to NHL Network insider Elliote Friedman, the theories aren’t just floating online as there are some important individuals around the league who think the draft was set up for Chicago too.
“I was shocked. I can’t tell you how many people around the league who I consider to be very smart people were convinced that it was rigged,” he said on the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I know people go on the internet and they’re all mad. They’re like, ‘rigged! Rigged! This was fixed!’ Fans are fans. I don’t really have any problem with that. People react very emotionally.
“But people in the league—like on teams and stuff—were like, ‘This is rigged.’ I’m like, ‘Guys, come on.’”
While a few things point to this all being planned, it’s still very unlikely that the NHL rigged the lottery. But the cries may intensify once Chicago actually picks Bedard.
