Refusal to speak to the media: Golden Knights lose a high draft pick

Félix Forget
Refusal to speak to the media: Golden Knights lose a high draft pick
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

Last night, the Golden Knights made headlines after their win over the Ducks. The team also clinched a spot in the Western Conference Final… but it was what they didn't do that really caught people's attention.

Usually, after a game, the coach is always available to answer questions from the media. Except that last night, John Tortorella refused to speak to the media.

And clearly, that didn't sit well with the league… which severely punished Vegas.

The NHL has just announced that, due to what happened last night, the Knights will lose their second-round pick (which is no small matter) in the upcoming draft. John Tortorella, for his part, is being fined $100,000.

The league explains that Vegas has already received warnings about this, and clearly, they want to make it clear that the team is not above the rules in place regarding the media.

It's worth noting that in addition to Tortorella refusing to speak to the media, the team also denied media access to the locker room. These are extremely unusual practices… that violate media availability policies.

But obviously, these are fairly significant penalties.

In its statement, the league also notes that the Golden Knights may appeal the decision. If they exercise this option, the appeal will take place next week in New York… while the team is in the thick of its series against the Avalanche.

We can expect them to appeal the decision given the severity of the penalties imposed… but clearly, the league wants to enforce its media rules. And today, it's the Golden Knights who are paying the price.


Quick Q&A

– Do you agree?

– That's true.

– Wow!

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