Reporter Goes Off On The NHL And Gary Bettman For Awarding Blackhawks With The 1st Overall Pick

On Monday night, the NHL held its annual Draft Lottery, with the Chicago Blackhawks emerging as the lucky winners of the Connor Bedard sweepstakes.

Opinions about the draft have been mixed within the hockey world, with some even questioning its legitimacy. Despite NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's assertion that "teams don't tank," the actions of the Blackhawks seem to contradict this statement. The Blackhawks' General Manager, Kyle Davidson, seemingly committed to a tanking strategy before the season even began by trading away notable players such as Kirby Dach and Alex DeBrincat.

Taylor Haase, a reporter from DK Pittsburgh Sports, has openly criticized both the NHL and Gary Bettman for awarding the Blackhawks this opportunity. Haase raised several valid concerns about why the Blackhawks may not have deserved this pick, including the team's handling of a scandal involving former NHL player, Kyle Beach.

The scandal centered around allegations that Beach was sexually assaulted by Brad Aldrich, a former assistant coach for the Blackhawks, during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. Instead of taking steps to prevent such incidents in the future, Blackhawks' owner, Rocky Wirtz, seemingly prefers to bury the past.

Regardless of public opinion, the decision has been made: the Blackhawks have secured the pick and will likely draft Connor Bedard first overall. Whether we like it or not, we have to accept the outcome.

Sources:

MUST READ

7 minutes ago  |  By Daniel Lucente Johnny Gaudreau's Wife Meredith Has Emotional Reaction to Beautiful Fan Tribute to Her Late Husband

1 hour ago  |  By Daniel Lucente Brad Marchand Traded by the Boston Bruins? Top NHL Insider Lists Him as a Possible Player to Move

2 hours ago  |  By Graham Montgomery Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad Loses His Cool and Insults Fan

15 hours ago  |  By Daniel Lucente LeBron James Says Goodbye: He Has Had Enough of the Media and Has Now Made a Statement

16 hours ago  |  By Graham Montgomery NHL Forced to Release Statement After Controversy Over Department of Player Safety Rulings on Hits to the Head

17 hours ago  |  By Daniel Lucente Top Pittsburgh Penguins Prospect Tanner Howe Traded in Massive Five-Piece Deal

18 hours ago  |  By Tom Banks Alex Ovechkin Suffers Unexpected Injury Setback: He Will Now Miss Significantly More Time

19 hours ago  |  By Tom Banks Craig Berube Makes an Update on Auston Matthews After Mysterious Visit to Germany

MORE STORIES