The Vegas Golden Knights and head coach John Tortorella suffered a major setback after the NHL denied their appeal over media regulation violations during the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Sports media personality Pat McAfee shared the update on X on Tuesday.
McAfee reported that the Golden Knights’ in-person appeal was heard in New York by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. According to sources close to the situation, the league decided to keep the original punishment unchanged.
The NHL had previously announced that Vegas would forfeit its second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, while Tortorella received a personal fine of $100,000. League officials described the actions as “flagrant violations” of playoff media regulations.
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The controversy began after Vegas defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on May 14. The victory sent the Golden Knights into the Western Conference Finals for the first time since their Stanley Cup-winning season in 2023.
NHL’s reasoning behind the punishment and Vegas’ protest
Following the win, the Golden Knights reportedly refused media access to the locker room. Tortorella also skipped his mandatory postgame press conference and declined to speak with reporters. The NHL stated that Vegas had already received earlier warnings, which increased the severity of the punishment. “The imposition of these penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the Club regarding their compliance with the Media Regulations and other associated policies,” the NHL’s statement reads. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman believes the protest was tied to defenseman Brayden McNabb receiving a one-game suspension before Game 6. Because media access obligations are part of the NHL’s business agreements and collective bargaining rules, Bettman approved the heavy sanctions. Despite the controversy, Vegas dominated Anaheim in the deciding Game 6. Mitch Marner scored just 62 seconds into the contest and finished with a major role in the opening three goals. Pavel Dorofeyev added two third-period goals, while Brett Howden and Shea Theodore also scored. The Golden Knights will now prepare for a difficult Western Conference Finals matchup against the Colorado Avalanche.