Golden Knights Penalized by NHL After Media Access Dispute Following Series Win.

The NHL has stripped the Vegas Golden Knights of their second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and fined head coach John Tortorella $100,000 after what the league described as “flagrant violations” of postseason media access rules following the club’s Western Conference semifinal victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The punishment stems from Vegas’ actions after its 5-1 win in Game 6 on Thursday night, when the organization declined to open the locker room to reporters and Tortorella refused to participate in his scheduled postgame media availability. While several players addressed reporters at the podium, the team did not fulfill the NHL’s full media obligations tied to playoff competition. In announcing the sanctions Friday, the league said Vegas had previously been warned about compliance issues involving media regulations and related league policies before the latest incident occurred. The Golden Knights acknowledged the discipline in a brief statement posted to social media, saying the club was aware of the NHL’s ruling regarding postgame media availability and would not comment further. Vegas has been granted the opportunity to appeal the decision during an in-person hearing with the commissioner’s office next week in New York. The loss of the second-round selection further depletes the organization’s draft capital. The Golden Knights had already traded away their first-round pick in the 2026 draft as part of the 2024 deal that brought defenseman Noah Hanifin over from the Calgary Flames. With the latest penalty, Vegas currently holds only four selections in the upcoming draft — in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.

The forfeiture also extends a troubling trend for the franchise. Unless the club reacquires picks through future trades, the Golden Knights are now positioned to go four consecutive drafts without making a second-round selection after previously dealing away second-round picks in 2027, 2028 and 2029. The disciplinary action adds another dramatic chapter to a turbulent postseason run for Vegas. In late March, the organization dismissed Stanley Cup-winning coach Bruce Cassidy and replaced him with Tortorella in a move that surprised many around the league. Tortorella, who captured a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, inherited a roster searching for consistency in goal and guided the team through consecutive playoff series victories. Vegas rallied from a 2-1 deficit to eliminate the Utah Mammoth in the opening round before dispatching the Ducks in six games to advance to the Western Conference final. The Golden Knights will face the Colorado Avalanche beginning Wednesday at Ball Arena in Denver with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line.