Vegas lost a second‑round pick in this year’s draft after the NHL slapped the club with a penalty for refusing to open its dressing room to the press after the 5‑1 series‑clinching win over the Anaheim Ducks. Coach John Tortorella also received a $100,000 fine for violating media rules. This action follows a series of warnings from league officials today.

The sanctions strip Vegas of its next draft selection, forcing the franchise to wait until the third round to add new talent. With the first‑round pick already traded for Noah Hanifin, the club will have only four selections in rounds three, five, six and seven, breaking a pattern of second‑round picks that has lasted four seasons for the team this.

Tortorella, who guided the Tampa Bay Lightning to a Cup in 2004, took over after Bruce Cassidy’s dismissal late March, steering Vegas to a dramatic comeback in the quarterfinals and a straight‑up victory over the Ducks. The club now faces the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals, with the draft penalties adding a long‑term rebuilding hurdle for the team.