Golden Knights lose draft pick, Tortorella fined $100,000 by NHL for violating media access policy

Key Points:

• The Vegas Golden Knights have been penalized by the NHL with a forfeiture of their 2026 second-round draft pick and a $100,000 fine imposed on coach John Tortorella for violating media access rules after a playoff victory in Anaheim.
• The league cited "flagrant violations" and noted prior warnings to the team regarding compliance with media regulations, with the fine proceeds going to the NHL Foundation charity; the team may appeal the penalties.
• The incident involved Tortorella skipping his postgame news conference and the team denying locker-room access to reporters, citing congestion in the arena hallway, despite other players speaking to the media separately.
• NHL rules mandate that head coaches be available to reporters daily during the playoffs and require a 30-minute media access period after games, which the Golden Knights failed to provide, continuing a pattern of media non-compliance by Tortorella.
• The Golden Knights will next face the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final, with Game 1 scheduled in Denver on Wednesday.