Prior to Game #2 of the Pens-Caps playoff series, the NHL and NBC subjected the viewing public to the very strange NHL Lottery to determine draft order.
General impressions:
Why was it necessary to show the Pre-Draft order (determined by odds) prior to the announcement of the final order?
Why did they draw the numbers in private and then announce them? You mean you couldn't pick the balls live? That really casts doubt on the honesty of the whole thing.
The Assistant Commissioner flipping up the cards after the announcer names the team?
I found the whole process bizarre and creepy, like the NHL was trying hard to convince me it wasn't fixed for Toronto.
Honestly, I was almost embarrassed for them. Although the truth is, this is just more proof that they are truly a "garage league". They can't seem to do anything right.
All capped off by a half assed interview with Matthews from Finland at 3:30 am where they ask a bunch of silly questions, get no response then cap it off with an awkward "go to bed" comment.
I can't think of a good way to do a draft lottery, which is why it's probably better off not being done. The only thing that would have made it good TV is if Toronto would have been picked for 15th and they cut to the bar full of Toronto fans biting down on the cyanide capsules.
And they can't do the ball pulling live because they have to count up, I believe. Meaning the first ball pulled would be for 1st pick, so they would have missed out on the other 8 minutes of must see TV as everyone tuned out once Toronto was picked. I'm also pretty sure the process would be even more boring b/c they would pull the 1st pick ball then have to dig through and find all the lottery balls for that team to remove them for the 2nd pick drawing (repeat again... and again... and again).
The countdown with holding up the logos is silly, and unnecessarily long. They can't do it live because it would be awkward to keep pulling balls of teams that we already pulled.
That was just a huge waste of everyone's time. Such over the top drama for a draft order! The execs looked silly sitting there waiting for -- well, nothing really. The league definitely looked very amateur with that spot.
On a side note - I wonder how long it will take the Toronto media to break Auston Matthews and then blame him for being a bust. I've already seen writings about him stepping in as the number one center and taking Toronto to Cup contender status within a few seasons. I hope you have very big shoulders Mr. Matthews.
That was just a huge waste of everyone's time. Such over the top drama for a draft order! The execs looked silly sitting there waiting for -- well, nothing really. The league definitely looked very amateur with that spot.
On a side note - I wonder how long it will take the Toronto media to break Auston Matthews and then blame him for being a bust. I've already seen writings about him stepping in as the number one center and taking Toronto to Cup contender status within a few seasons. I hope you have very big shoulders Mr. Matthews.
Yeah, that poor kid is going straight into the lions den.
I was in Toronto in 1990 around playoff time and picked up a newspaper. There in the sports page in a headline they referred to Osgood as Osgoat.
Talk about a lack of class.
Auston Matthews from Scottsdale AZ as the Laffs #1 pick. This has disaster written all over it. He'll be wishing he was born in Thunder Bay by somewhere around mid-October.
Although the truth is, this is just more proof that they are truly a "garage league". They can't seem to do anything right. 
