The NHL laid the smackdown on the Vegas Golden Knights for their shenanigans with the media on Thursday night.
After head coach John Tortorella spurned his postgame media responsibilities and the team didn’t open up the locker room to reporters, the league has sent an incredibly strong message via punishing sanctions.
The Golden Knights, who were previously warned regarding their compliance with “media regulations,” will lose their 2026 second-round pick, and Tortorella has been fined $100,000.
Here’s the full press release from the league:
NHL Sanctions Golden Knights for Violations of Media Policies
NEW YORK (May 15, 2026) – The National Hockey League announced today that, as a result of flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations following Game 6 of their Second Round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, May 14, the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
In addition, Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella has been fined $100,000.
The imposition of these penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the Club regarding their compliance with the Media Regulations and other associated policies.
Vegas has been offered the opportunity to appeal these penalties to the Commissioner’s Office. That appeal would be held in person next week in New York.
As the statement outlines, the Golden Knights will have a chance to appeal their punishments next week. The team is set to begin their Western Conference Finals series against the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, May 20.
Vegas released their own brief statement shortly after the NHL’s announcement.
“The Golden Knights are aware of today’s announcement from the NHL regarding the postgame media availability following Game 6 in Anaheim,” the statement reads. “The organization will have no further comment.”
Vegas now has no first or second-round picks in the next two drafts. Their highest selection this year will come in the third round.
The Golden Knights losing their second-round pick is the second sanction-related penalty being imposed at this year’s draft.
The Ottawa Senators will pick last in the first round as a result of a penalty sanction due to the trade of forward Evgenii Dadonov to the Vegas Golden Knights and Dadonov’s subsequent voided trade to the Anaheim Ducks. The Senators never informed Vegas that Dadonov had a no-movement clause in his contract.
