The National Hockey League has imposed significant penalties on the Vegas Golden Knights, stripping them of a second-round draft pick in next month's draft and fining head coach John Tortorella $100,000 for breaching media access regulations. The punitive measures were announced a day after the Golden Knights secured a series-clinching 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night, advancing to face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final.
Violation of Media Rules
Following the Game 6 triumph, Tortorella refused to speak with reporters, and the Golden Knights did not open their locker room as required by league and National Hockey League Players' Association rules. Jesse Granger of The Athletic, who covered the game, noted on social media: 'John Tortorella declined to speak with the media after advancing to the Western Conference finals. The Golden Knights also didn't open the dressing room after the game. They brought one player into a side room to speak, along with the two who spoke at the podium. I've been covering the NHL for nine years and never seen either of those happen once.'
The NHL stated that these 'flagrant violations' occurred despite prior warnings issued to the Golden Knights. The team has been offered an opportunity to appeal the penalties in person at Commissioner Gary Bettman's office in New York next week.
Team Response
The Golden Knights acknowledged the league's announcement in a statement posted to social media, saying: 'The Golden Knights are aware of today's announcement from the NHL regarding the postgame media availability following Game 6 in Anaheim. The organization will have no further comment.'
