NHL and Gary Bettman Facing Major Criticism for Controversial Draft Lottery Format

On Monday before round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins, the NHL held their annual Draft Lottery, set to determine the draft order for the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.

In the process, it was the New York Islanders that made the major jump from 10 to 1 to land the top pick, with the likes of James Hagens, Porter Martone, Michael Schaffer and Michael Misa all considered top options for the No. 1 overall pick to New York.

While plenty of fans are upset that their team didn't get the No. 1 overall pick, perhaps the most intriguing development from fans has been the confusion over the NHL's Draft Lottery rules, as they tried to explain it to fans on the broadcast.

Looking at these numbers, it's no surprise why fans are so confused with the situation, as many called out Gary Bettman and the league on social media for confusing and nonsensical format.

Not only that, but some fans have even called out the league for rigging the draft lottery for New York, especially given the fact that they lost the All Star Game that was meant to be held in 2026.

That's more likely than not to simply be a fan that's shown his frustration over their team losing out on the No. 1 overall pick, but given how confusing the format truly is, absolutely anything could happen behind the scenes.

Ultimately though, it's now the Islanders that have the No. 1 overall pick as teams know their fate ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, but it's not very surprising to see fans take the opportunity to call out Gary Bettman in the process.