NHL coach John Tortorella and the Vegas Golden Knights face a series of punishments. The league has stripped the team of its 2026 second-round draft pick and fined Tortorella $100,000.

The sanctions were imposed for “Flagrant Violations” of Stanley Cup Playoffs media regulations after Vegas’ Game 6 win against the Anaheim Ducks.

According to multiple reporters, Tortorella refused to talk to the media after the Golden Knights' triumph. In addition to him skipping the presser, the team didn't open their locker room to media.

Only a handful of players briefly answered questions before leaving the arena. Winger Mitch Marner and center Brett Howden spoke at a conference, while defenseman Shea Theodore answered in a separate room.

Under the NHL media regulations, the head coach must be available to the media after practices, playoffs and games. Teams must also provide media with a 30-minute access to the locker room after practices and games. 

In the announcement, the NHL highlighted Vegas’ repeated failure to follow the rules as reasons for the sanctions. The team had previously received warnings regarding this issue.

"These penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the Club regarding their compliance with the Media Regulations and other associated policies," as reported on the NHL website.

Coach Tortorella is no stranger to sanctions, having racked up over $300,000 in fines during his coaching career. He was once fined 50,000 for refusing to leave the bench after a game misconduct in 2024.

Tortorella is known for his blunt personality and tense relationship with the media, having previously called out journalists during memorable interviews in 2024 and 2013.

As for the Golden Knight Knights, reports suggest that the team was upset with defenseman Brayden McNabb’s suspension, which led to their post-match conduct.

But, as per The Athletic, Vegas staffers cited traffic issues in the Honda Central Railway as the reason for closing the locker room.

While this controversy has taken over the league discussions, the long-term impact of losing a draft is a bigger problem for Vegas.

Draft Loss Adds Pressure to Vegas’ Long-Term Plans 

The Golden Knights are losing out on another early-round selection, which makes their future roster hopes really difficult. The organization is now down to four picks in the 2026 NHL Draft — third, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds.

They previously traded their first-round pick to the Calgary Flames in 2024 and have no fourth-round picks.

Following the latest sanction, the team will be without a second-round pick for four straight draft cycles. They have already relinquished their 2027, 2028 and 2029 second-round picks in previous trades.

Unless they make a trade, they won't enter the second round for future drafts, which will hinder any attempts to add depth to the roster.

This will prompt Vegas to appeal the decision to commissioner Gary Bettman next week in New York, with the NHL permitting them to do so.

With the Western Conference finals approaching on Wednesday, the Vegas Golden Knights must fight on two fronts.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Sijo Paul