The team that tanked the most aggressively got Bedard.

[HTFN]

Listen, there's nothing wrong with the lottery - except for the fact that we don't know if they even follow it.

No one should get equal chances at #1 overall. The worst teams should get the best picks. That's just common sense.

People are just bothered Chicago won it because they're a despicable organization and the villains of the league right now. I'm bothered personally by it, but I don't blame the draft lottery *if* it was followed as it's supposed to be.

Can't really be said enough. They collectively threw a fit after doing the very bare minimum, then somehow embarrassed themselves again with Pride Night, said "f*** you" to everybody who didn't like it and now they want to flip the page and start over with a fresh new face like everybody else just needs to forget it and move on.

 

[beowulf]

Bedard > McDavid

Ya I am not ready to say that at this time. We shall see.

 

[dukedukowski]

Lol the truth is, creating a lottery makes it that much easier to fix who gets top picks

 

[DS7]

What's wrong with tanking? Honest question.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

The Betman conspiracies are absurd. I thought he wants to divert talent to non-Original Six franchises to grow and sustain the footprint of the NHL? The traditional conspiracy, therefore, called for Anaheim to win the lottery.

Someone would have found a narrative for it being rigged no matter who won.

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

For the people who believe this situation was rigged, why would you continue to watch? If the league was on top of shit enough to rig it, why wouldn’t they rig them all? Why wouldn’t they rig every aspect of the league?

 

[Harvey Birdman]

Bettman “Crosby only has a couple of years left. Let’s make sure they win it so Crosby can mentor and pass the torch like we set up with Mario before.”

Daly “But Gary we changed the rules. They finished to high. They can only move up 10 spots.”

Bettman “Okay… So we change the standings and say they had been reported wrong. Get Pittsburgh into the top ten picks… Then have them win the lottery.”

Daly “Gary… We have gotten away with a lot of stuff but don’t you think that’s going to far? Surely someone will notice.”

Bettman “You’re right. This is why you are a good friend Bill…. Ah f*** it. Give it to Chicago then.”

*spins chair around, looking at the city, and starts laughing like Mr. Burns*

 

[dukedukowski]

For the people who believe this situation was rigged, why would you continue to watch? If the league was on top of shit enough to rig it, why wouldn’t they rig them all? Why wouldn’t they rig every aspect of the league?

They do. Enough to manipulate the situation as they see fit to do.
Why? I like sports.
I know I'm watching entertainment and not competition. And I accept that. I'm an adult.

 

[HTFN]

For the people who believe this situation was rigged, why would you continue to watch? If the league was on top of shit enough to rig it, why wouldn’t they rig them all? Why wouldn’t they rig every aspect of the league?

For as long as revenue sharing is a thing, having a large market fall right off the face of the planet is not going to be a good thing. League-wide.

I don't genuinely believe it was rigged but if you're looking for an answer, that's it right there. You don't rig them all because you don't want to look like the WWE but whenever you can put a finger on the scale a little you'd be tempted to do it if there's money in it. Look at Chicago's ticket sales and how you expect them to be booked next year on television and it's not really a far stretch, because you give a big market one of these every few years and you can float whatever you want after that, say, keep a professional NHL team playing in a college arena for like 6,000 people or something?

 

[McShogun99]

The hawks fired all the staff and traded all the players involved with the Beach stuff already. The Hawks players definitely gave more effort than the Ducks or Blue Jackets. When you have talent like that, it's suspicious how they played so poorly

You'll still have people bashing the Hawks organization over the Beech incident 20 years from now. It should have been dealt with 12 years ago and the NHL is as much to blame as the Hawks management team of that time.

 

[McShogun99]

They need to stop creating all these dumb rules and lotteries for bad teams. I understand that the lottery brings in revenue and viewers but just go back to the old ways of worst team gets 1st pick, etc. Even the Oilers drafting 1st in 4 of 6 years has never happened before in NHL history. No team wants to be bad for all those years, even the Oilers were trying to win after 2011 but had some of the worst management you could imagine.

 

[Leafshater67]

I’m a pretty big conspiracy theorist in many things but I do not believe the draft lottery is rigged and it’s annoying to hear how it is.

I think if it was, Arizona would have gotten 1st for sure and Edmonton wouldn’t have gotten it so many times. Gary is obsessed with growing the game, no way they’d rig it for a Canadian team or original 6 franchises that already have a ton of fans.

 

[HuGo Sham]

I want the organization punished. Mostly so we can finally move on. I know the bulk of Hawks fans were as sickened by what their team did as anyone else; deliberately taking it out on them accomplishes nothing constructive. But the organization barely even got a wrist-slap; the on-ice impact (compared to that for teams that did far far less) was literally nil.

* * *​

They weren't #1. They were up there, to be sure, but they weren't #1. It's variable depending on what metrics you use, but the top 4 were generally some mixture of the Capitals, Habs, Jackets, and another team whose name is evading me at the moment (I want to say the Knights but I'm not certain of that.)

agreed

 

[TLEH]

Hawks fan.

Don't like Wirtz family at all. Think people need to hammer Q and Bowman more, and they should get lifetime bans.

But all these fans talking about doing this and that if it was their team. Its all bullshit.

 

[Szechwan]

The fact they tanked isn't the problem.

The fact that they still had a first round pick after getting busted for hiding a rapist coach then recommending that rapist coach to another athletics program where he'd have access to even younger kids is the problem.

Yes Q and Bowman are gone, but the rot remains, as we saw clearly on display by that dirtbag Wirtz dismissing it and telling everyone to get over it and move on.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

What a ridiculous post.

Big American markets, except for 8 of the the last 10 Number 1 picks.

I did say recent, and if you don't think the league is giving the likes of NY, NJ and now Chi a leg up in this cap world, then you're just naive.

 

[Putt Pirate]

I don’t really like how much it comes down to pure luck.

How about using each team’s total points for the last 3-5 seasons or something and rank them in reverse order? That way the teams that are truly bad year after year get the best picks and it would eliminate the single season tank or reward a good team who just had a lot of injuries.

No team would waste that many seasons just to have a good pick several years into the future.

Hawks still would have been in the lottery lol!

 

[HTFN]

Hawks fan.

Don't like Wirtz family at all. Think people need to hammer Q and Bowman more, and they should get lifetime bans.

But all these fans talking about doing this and that if it was their team. Its all bullshit.

It really isn't.

I'm embarrassed by proxy for shit that happened in a limo before I was even conscious of the team, I had trucks to play with but now in my adult life it's still a bit of a stain. And you know what? They got the f*** rid of those guys even back then.

Here and now in the present day if I found out my favorite team was guilty of what the Blackhawks were guilty of I'd gladly forfeit the pick(s) just to be able to feel moderately good about rooting for the team, knowing that a tangible price was paid.

And honestly? I'd probably jump ship and officially become a Seattle fan. Sports isn't worth that, I don't need it that bad.

 

[Putt Pirate]

The fact they tanked isn't the problem.

The fact that they still had a first round pick after getting busted for hiding a rapist coach then recommending that rapist coach to another athletics program where he'd have access to even younger kids is the problem.

Yes Q and Bowman are gone, but the rot remains, as we saw clearly on display by that dirtbag Wirtz.

That would have been last year’s 1st. It why reason with unreasonable people? It submarines 1/2 the people’s arguments.

 

[Szechwan]

That would have been last year’s 1st. It why reason with unreasonable people? It submarines 1/2 the people’s arguments.

AZ lost a 1st and a 2nd for having prospects do some jumping jacks. Chicago's penalty should have been much worse than that. So no, it doesn't really submarine anyone's argument.

 

[HTFN]

That would have been last year’s 1st. It why reason with unreasonable people? It submarines 1/2 the people’s arguments.

That's assuming it's only worth one.

 

[Putt Pirate]

That's assuming it's only worth one.

If you and others had their way it would be a century of picks and even then it wouldn’t be enough. You cannot make everyone happy.

Secondly, the other 31 owners want the $ to fellow regardless of satisfying you. And the Hawks are one of the money spigots. Don’t like it then quit watching hockey or the Hawks at least. But…..bet you won’t. Many will be a hypocrite and watch anyhow even though they are not happy with the NHL’s penalty.

It really isn't.

I'm embarrassed by proxy for shit that happened in a limo before I was even conscious of the team, I had trucks to play with but now in my adult life it's still a bit of a stain. And you know what? They got the f*** rid of those guys even back then.

Here and now in the present day if I found out my favorite team was guilty of what the Blackhawks were guilty of I'd gladly forfeit the pick(s) just to be able to feel moderately good about rooting for the team, knowing that a tangible price was paid.

And honestly? I'd probably jump ship and officially become a Seattle fan. Sports isn't worth that, I don't need it that bad.

This is both hilarious and rich at the same time. So self righteous without knowing everything behind the scenes.

 

[TLEH]

Losing a draft pick doesn't make me "feel good" about rooting for them. Its weird to even type that out.

I feel good about rooting for them because they are an abstract entity. A hockey club. If they have an asshole playing for them, I can root for the Blackhawks while simultaneously saying that guy is an asshole. If I was in here protecting Q and Bowman and McDonough, hell even Rocky, then fine light me up.

But sitting in here and spewing shit like the law firm is lying and the draft is rigged and Rocky knew everything. Its all bullshit.

You can only make assessments off of facts and what is known.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

If Bedard were to stand the Hawks up on draft day, I would get his name/number tattooed on my ass

 

[joestevens29]

If Bedard were to stand the Hawks up on draft day, I would get his name/number tattooed on my ass

First and last name? Or just last?