Connor Bedard has been highly anticipated as the number 1 draft pick for months. With his stellar performance in the CHL playing for the Regina Pats, scoring 271 points in 134 games, its not hard to see why and today, was the big day. The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery, where we all would find out who the lucky team was that would get a shot at Bedard. The entire thing went exactly as predicted, no surprises until number 3. As they were cutting to commercial, Kevin Weekes completely blew it as he prematurely revealed that the Columbus Blue Jackets had fallen in the draft to number 3 leaving Anaheim and Chicago as the 2 remaining teams. Completely spoiling the whole point of this show they put on and immediately, the internet blew up with claims of the NHL being rigged. It wasn’t a good look. But here’s the deal, this whole thing is likely just a show if I had to guess. I dont think this proves in any real way that it is rigged, it just shows that this was a production. The results were already known in advance and they simply just got ahead of the script. They were supposed to go to commercial and instead, he went straight to the next pick. Brutal as it was, after coming back they didnt even mention it and the show went on as we found out that the Chicago Blackhawks, coming off a dynasty with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were now well on their way to starting the next one with Connor Bedard.
#hockey #nhl #NHLdraft #chicagoblackhawks
45 Comments
Soooo, what do we all think of the results?
Bettman didn’t even watch. Tampa wasn’t on the list.
I watched it in Montreal and saw the Colombus pick with TVA Sport
I wouldn’t even be surprised if Chicago didn’t even get Bedard, I could see them drafting Fantilli, or just trading the pick, based on what they’ve done these last few years lol
Absolutely rigged
OF course it's rigged. No way the NHL was going to let a predicted "Generational SuperStar" go to a small market like Anaheim. The fix was long in… Just disgusting it was Chicago. Could have stomached any other franchise over Chicago. And its nothing against the city or their fans (I have lots of family from Chicago who are HUGE Hawks fans), but this ownership/management group is disgusting and least deserving. A disgrace to see them rewarded for their sexual cover-up and blatant tanking. The fix was in…. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
Nothing will happen to Weekes because he is the “ woke “ representative on this broadcast. Flip it around, if he had been white, he would have been canned by now, guaranteed, no questions asked. NHL couldn’t risk being charged with racism if he had been dumped afterwards. His career is safe. Look for different explanations as to why what happened did so, all meant to deflect any blame away from Weekes. I have already heard two, both plausible. But regardless, as a Blackhawk fan, all I can say is 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 🎉
Connor is gonna get mugged a lot in Chicago, and when he leaves the arena who knows what else is gonna happen 😂
Sorry ducks fans, I wanted him to go to Anaheim would have been an incredible offence.
It's RIGGED.
I was watching on sports net and they showed the blue jackets going 3rd before commercial
The official NHL youtube was posting about Bedard like a year ago, shit is rigged. The mini documentaries and news coverage are promotion, and we keep clicking.
From the beginning, I thought either Chicago or Montreal would get the first pick, so I wasn't surprised. They should have the actual drawing live instead of just revealing the results that they pre-determined before the on air presentation.
bedard to arizona where they sell 300 tickets a night? no that is not what bettman wanted lol
The chant should have been "We want a Florida vs Maple Leafs series" clap…clap..
I didn't realize how much fans of other teams hated the Blackhawks haha. Anyways go Hawks baby, rich get richer hehe.
No doubt the NHL picks and chooses who gets the #1 pick. The draft lottery is so stupid. The NHL is the least likely of the major sports for teams to tank and yet they have the most convoluted draft system where nine teams can shuffle around and the worst team can actually get the fourth or sixth pick.
I'm a ducks fan. So I think it's rigged.
Nobody wants to see Bedard in Columbus or Anaheim any. I’m loving the crying though.
The Vancouver Canucks got screwed over again this hole entire NHL draft lottery is totally rigged
I seriously want to believe that it is not rigged
NHL RIGGED 🎉😢
ESPN screws up everything
Thanks for being reasonable.
Kevin Weekes is like Anchorman. He'll just read whatever is in front of him without thinking.
It was NHL Network who screwed it up. This was simulcasted on ESPN and Sportsnet.
Let’s go Blackhawks!!
I was hoping for him to go to the ducks but after hearing you i think it would of been better to have him go to Arizona to maybe make them an actual team someday
KHL? You mean WHL
Such a nice classy rape culture team deserving of the first overall pick… great job Buttman and his lap dog coming to bail them out.
How do the Wings go down in the lottery every year? How is that even possible?
I mean, that's what the government does. They screw up, look around, and just move on and act like nothing happened. Or deny and blame someone else.
I'm convinced the NHL and all American sports are somewhat fixed in a way. The refs in the NHL are atrocious
You really think bettmen would want him in arizona? for growth and potential money in the future? or give him to chicago and sell 2.5million$ worth of tickets within 4 hours of the pick being revealed, in a big, one of the biggest markets, he obviously would rather Bedard in chicago then any of the other top 10 picks
didn’t get to see this! I only saw some random guy announcing the picks and I watched it live! Where do you go to watch this
As an Indian I love that the Blackhawks won.
Is everybody enjoying the Bettman expansion league playoffs??? Exciting games too watch, let me tell you… Diluted talent through the league.. Moving teams around in divisions which breaks the rivalries… Not much fighting anymore, no grit, no determination… Original six teams use to play each other 8 times a year… Salary cap has killed hockey these days… Rival games always were played like playoff games.. Boston, Tampa Bay and NY Rangers knocked out in the first round??? Teams get blowed out one night and come back in the next game and blow the other team out??? Bring back hockey before Mr. Bettman when it was fun to watch all the games…
It’s not like Chicago had insane odds, they where 3rd highest chance…
AZ is a crap show. The NHL didn’t want #1 pick to go there. It was obvious the NHL wanted the #1 pick to go to Chicago. What is a better way to distract from the sexual assault case, plus being an original six team and one of the most profitable teams in the NHL. I was not surprised by the order of the last three picks.
it IS rigged. the lottery, the cup, and anyways, that's my rant
I don’t care what people say or think this beeping lottery is fixed and Buttman is behind it.
There are aspects that can be rigged, and the draft lottery is probably the biggest one. I don't believe individual game outcomes can be rigged in a game as fast as hockey. Apart from refs making one -sided calls. But you cant tell me the NHL doesn't have a HUGE interest in bedard going to a strong market rather than some consistent bottom feeder franchise. And the fact that chicago is a strong market that is about to struggle heavily as they rebuild, this is just so so so convenient.
As a hawks fan…suck it cry babies
Would have been much better for Bedard to go to Montreal!
The NHL is terrible, almost completely unwatchable at this point.
I was very happy Bedard went to the Blackhawks. I think it's a insult that tropical coasts, and deserts have hockey teams and I am glad he did not go to one of those teams. Instead he went to a original 6 team with real passionate hockey fans instead of the bandwagon fans you get outside the North East area of the USA.