The National Hockey League (NHL) has issued significant penalties to the Las Vegas Golden Knights ahead of a playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche.
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"The National Hockey League announced today that, as a result of flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations following Game 6 of their Second Round series against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, May 14, the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a second-round pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft," the league said in a press release.
The NHL also stated that head coach John Tortorella has received a $100,000 fine. The Las Vegas Golden Knights have an opportunity to appeal these penalties. If the team takes this route, the appeal will happen in person next week in New York.
The NHL did not provide the details of the infraction. However, The Athletic had more information. The outlet noted that Tortorella skipped his postgame press conference after Game 6. Additionally, the team did not allow reporters into the locker room.
The Golden Knights have issued a statement saying that the team is aware of the penalty. However, it did not have a comment on the situation.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) May 15, 2026
The Golden Knights are fresh off a playoff series win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Las Vegas-based team took the series 4-2 on Thursday night with a 5-1 win. The team delivered this win despite losing defenseman Brayden McNabb to a one-game suspension for a late hit on Anaheim forward Ryan Poehling.
Vegas now advances to the Western Conference Final, where it will face off with Colorado. The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they will face off with the winner of the Eastern Conference.
The Carolina Hurricanes have a spot in the Eastern Conference Final, but the North Carolina-based team doesn't know if it will face off with the Buffalo Sabres or the Montreal Canadiens.
