New York Rangers Flashback: Hockey fans cry draft lottery was rigged

While New York Rangers fans reveled in the excitement of getting to pick first overall for the first time since 1965, conspiracy theorists came out in full force. Yes folks, the hashtag #Rigged was trending on Twitter after the ball came up Blueshirts.

New York Rangers lottery win was rigged

So why did fans think it was rigged? They believed that during the lottery, as the balls were being verified by Gary Bettman, the Rangers ball was dropped early and then picked up and dropped again.

No, no, no…it’s not because the guy accidentally dropped it too soon before Bettman could verify it. No, it was because the ball was weighted? Yes…that’s it.

Toronto almost won the lottery

While the New York Rangers won the draft lottery it almost turned out different. As the balls rattled around and almost came up Toronto Maple Leafs, the Blueshirts ultimately became victorious.

The fact that this video exists proves just how close the Rangers came to losing. Watch as the Rangers ball goes up, comes out, and Leafs ball hits the post twice before ultimate Blueshirt victory.

John Davidson on rigged lottery noise

John Davidson went on the Cam and Strick Podcast recently, and the topic of the NHL Draft Lottery came up. Andy Strickland, who covered the Blues while JD was there asked what JD thought about all the complaining from GM’s. “It’s just noise,” he responded.

“There’s a lot of noise out there with the media, the world of Twitter,” JD expanded. “Noise is noise. If it’s bad enough you gotta listen to it, but it’s just noise.” Some of that “noise” revolved around the lottery being rigged.

Social media freak out over “rigged” lottery

Rangers rigged lottery
Rangers win the draft lottery. (NBCSN/NYR)

The Rangers won and have Alexis Lafreniere signed, sealed and delivered for next season. Eat it up. Eat it all up Rangers fans.

Even Tony DeAngelo got in on the fun that day.

https://twitter.com/TonyDee07/status/1292947724011294723?s=20

Now there were others trying to calm those folks down but to no avail.

Alexis Lafreniere discusses playing for NYR!

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Anthony Scultore has been covering the New York Rangers and the NHL since 2014. His work also appears at ... More about Anthony Scultore
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