NHL Players and Staff Call Out Gary Bettman For Rigged Lottery

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Wade Messier
May 11, 2023 (7:23 PM)

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How often do we hear NHL players call out the league directly? Not very often if you ask me. Between fines and the general culture around hockey, we rarely see players directly call out the league for whatever reason they might be compelled to. With the recent controversy surrounding the NHL Draft lottery, it looks like players have finally had enough of Gary Bettman's shenanigans.

Enough is Enough, Gary

Elliotte Friedman, one of if not the most respected insider and reporter in professional hockey, recently spoke on the 32 Thoughts podcast about the recent draft lottery. According to Friedman, he's been hearing plenty of complaints from both NHL players and team staff regarding the legitimacy of the draft lottery.

According to Friedman, people in the NHL don't believe that Chicago won the lottery in a legitimate fashion. He had the following to say:

"These were people across the league in executive jobs to even some players on teams coming forth with their apprehensions."

Even individuals Friedman says he regards as very intelligent people, were "convinced" that this year's lottery was fixed to land Bedard in Chicago.

What do you think, is this a legitimate concern, or are people just salty?

As Seen on Hockey Patrol - NHL Executives and Players Rebel Against Gary Bettman in Wake of Bedard Lottery