The Toronto Maple Leafs won the draft lottery with just an 8.5 percent chance. Now, fans are furious with the NHL and are calling them out for allegedly rigging the lottery.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have not been making any friends in the NHL over the last couple of days. On May 3, they introduced the highly controversial John Chayka as their new general manager.
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Maple Leafs won 2026 draft lottery
On Tuesday, the Maple Leafs won the 2026 NHL Draft lottery and can now select Gavin McKenna with the first overall pick. The Maple Leafs entered the lottery with just an 8.5 percent chance of getting the number one pick. The Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Calgary Flames all had better odds. The second pick went to the San Jose Sharks, who will have their fourth straight year picking in the top four.
The newly appointed general manager, John Chayka, was very happy with the outcome.
“You need some luck, and we got it tonight. It’s a long road ahead, of course, and there’s still lots of work to do, but when you get the first overall pick, it’s a monumental opportunity. I think it’s a really good draft with a lot of good players. It’s an honor to pick first overall,” he told reporters afterward.
Fans are outraged
But fans are now saying it wasn’t luck that won the Leafs the draft lottery. They claim the lottery was rigged in Toronto’s favor.
“Totally not rigged though. Both times the Leafs have been in the lottery in the last 10 years, they get No. 1. Awfully convenient for the NHL,” one fan wrote ironically on X.
“Fixed. The NHL is so desperate for Canadian teams to be competitive and relevant,” another wrote.
“Wow. Defied the odds just like the Penguins did with Crosby and the Blackhawks did with Bedard. Amazing how lucky those media darling teams always are,” a third wrote.
READ MORE: John Chayka criticized for his first press conference
