Golden Knights forfeit 2026 NHL draft pick after declining to speak to media following Game 6 win vs. Ducks

The Vegas Golden Knights didn’t follow the league’s protocol after advancing to the Western Conference Finals — and it’s going to cost them. In a press release on Friday, the NHL announced that the Golden Knights would be forfeiting a 2026 second-round draft pick, citing “flagrant violations” of the league’s rules on postgame media.

The move comes after most of Vegas declined to speak to media following the team’s Game 6 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Golden Knights defeated the Ducks 5-1 to complete the 4-2 series win and advance to the next round.

Vegas reportedly did not open the dressing room to media after the game, and only had a few players speak to reporters in a side room or at the podium, via The Athletic’s Jesse Granger. Head coach John Tortorella did not make himself available to media after the game, including a typical postgame press conference, and also did not join the handshake line, per The Sporting Tribune’s Zach Cavanagh.

That behavior led the NHL to step in by taking away a draft pick, an unusually steep punishment for a policy violation. In the release, the NHL said that the franchise had been issued “previous warnings” about complying with media policies. The league is also punishing Tortorella directly, fining the coach $100,000.

Per the league, the Golden Knights can appeal the penalties with an in-person meeting with the Commissioner’s Office in New York next week.

With the win on Thursday, Vegas will face the Colorado Avalanche in the conference finals, with the best-of-seven series starting next Wednesday. Colorado, who finished the year with the best record in the league, beat the 4-1 with on Wednesday.