NHL team reporter lays down major accusations against the league for rigging draft lottery

Is the NHL corrupt (maybe)? Is this how the league operates now? The NHL Draft Lottery has concluded.

It won't be the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, or even the Detroit Red Wings picking 1st overall.

But the New York Islanders!

Blackhawks team reporter, Mark Lazerus, believed it was rigged just moments after it was announced.

This happened so soon after Governor Kathy Hochul gave the commissioner, Gary Bettman, a tongue-lashing in a strongly worded letter that decried his decision to take an event out of New York.

She'd lobby for an NHL event in 2027, preferably an All-Star Game.

Instead, she may have hit gold for the New York Islanders, as they won the NHL Draft Lottery in 2025. Was it an event that was rigged?

According to Tankathon, the New York Islanders only had a 3.5% chance of winning the 1st-overall spot in the 2025 NHL Draft. Seems suspicious, given they leaped the Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%), and the San Jose Sharks (18.5%), who had better odds.

This is completely ridiculous if this were ever found out to be true. Regardless, the Islanders get snubbed and then get largesse after they get Kathy Hochul to lobby for them in 2027.

Here's an interesting history of who the team has selected third overall: Kirby Dach (2019), Jonathan Toews (2006), Cam Barker (2004), Eddie Olczyk (1984), Denis Savard (1980), and Terry Caffery (1966).