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NHL Draft lottery rigged? Fans claim lottery was 'fixed' after Maple Leafs win Gavin McKenna sweepstakes

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NHL Draft lottery rigged? Fans claim lottery was 'fixed' after Maple Leafs win Gavin McKenna sweepstakes originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There haven't been many bright days for the Maple Leafs in recent history. The franchise plummeted down the NHL standings in 2025–26, recording a paltry 77 points -- its lowest total in an 82-game season since 2015–16.

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Toronto didn't finish with the worst record in the NHL. In fact, the Maple Leafs tallied more points than four other teams. If anything, they were more likely to surrender their first-round pick than keep it — Toronto's selection would have gone to the Bruins if it landed outside the top five, as part of the deal to acquire Brandon Carlo last year.

The stakes were high for a Maple Leafs side that will come into the 2026 season with a new-look front office led by 36-year-old John Chayka. The hockey gods were looking out for the snakebitten franchise during Tuesday's draft lottery, blessing Chayka and Co. with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 Draft. Announcement of the curious result was met with joy from Toronto's camp. The rest of the NHL was far more skeptical, especially given the timing of the news. The Maple Leafs were in the news cycle one day earlier, with The Athletic's Chris Johnston reporting that Matthews "still isn't sure if he'll be back in Toronto in the fall."

Coincidence? Some think not, even if there is no actual proof of shenanigans.With that, here's what you need to know about the 2026 NHL Draft lottery results, a process marked by seemingly baseless allegations that the NHL rigged the pick to land in Toronto's hands. 

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Is the NHL Draft lottery rigged?

The Maple Leafs landed their second first-overall pick in 11 seasons on Tuesday. They're expected to select Gavin McKenna with the pick, looking to add firepower to a forward line that fell well short of expectations this season.

The NHL's "decision" to award Toronto the first-overall pick was met with vociferous protests from spectators of a different disposition than that of the Maple Leafs. 93.7 The Fan's Dom DiTommaso summed up his concerns with the legitimacy of the lottery on X.

He wasn't alone in his assessment.

There's certainly a case to be made that Toronto didn't deserve the opportunity to take McKenna in this year's draft. The optics of the Maple Leafs landing the No. 1 pick after engineering one of the worst seasons in recent franchise history was curious, even by the NHL's standards.

MORE: NHL Draft Lottery final results

Recent lottery results would appear to indicate that rigging is not a viable concern in NHL circles. The Sharks took home the top pick in 2024, while the Islanders picked up the No. 1 selection in 2025. Neither of those franchises can be considered hockey heavyweights, yet they each took home the most prized of rewards despite varying projected draft positions.

Still, give sports fans an inch or daylight and they'll predict someone was on the take. Like the Mavericks in last year's NBA Draft Lottery, it's not inconceivable that the NHL would want one of its marquee franchises to remain competitive in the years to come.

We'll likely never know whether the NHL engaged in tomfoolery to give the Leafs a chance to pick up McKenna. Don't expect the conspiracy theories to slow down, however.

NHL Draft lottery results 2026

PickTeamNo. 1Toronto Maple LeafsNo. 2San Jose SharksNo. 3Vancouver CanucksNo. 4Chicago BlackhawksNo. 5New York RangersNo. 6Calgary FlamesNo. 7Seattle KrakenNo. 8Winnipeg JetsNo. 9Florida PanthersNo. 10Nashville PredatorsNo. 11St. Louis BluesNo. 12New Jersey DevilsNo. 13New York IslandersNo. 14Columbus Blue JacketsNo. 15St. Louis Blues (via DET)No. 16Washington Capitals

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