Following the Vegas Golden Knights’ series-clinching win in their second-round playoff series against the Anaheim Ducks, media members were likely excited to find out what head coach John Tortorella and his players had to say about it.
They never got the chance, as Tortorella declined to meet with the media after the game. Forwards Brett Howden and Mitch Marner spoke at the podium while forward Jack Eichel spoke to the TNT Sports broadcast immediately after the game. They were the only players made available to the media.
The NHL requires head coaches to be available to the media “daily during the Stanley Cup playoffs, following morning skates, practices and games,” and teams must provide a 30-minute media access period in the locker room after practices and games.
John Tortorella declined to speak with the media after advancing to the Western Conference finals.
The Golden Knights also didn’t open the dressing room after the game. They brought 1 player into a side room to speak, along with the two who spoke at the podium.
I’ve been…
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) May 15, 2026
On Thursday, the NHL let Vegas know how unamused they were by this violation of the media guidelines.
The league announced it was taking a 2026 second-round draft pick away from the Golden Knights and fined head coach John Tortorella $100,000 for “flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations.”
“The imposition of these penalties comes after previous warnings were issued to the Club regarding their compliance with the Media Regulations and other associated policies,” said the NHL in a statement, which noted the Golden Knights have the ability to appeal.
The Golden Knights have been penalized a second round pick for their lack of media availability pic.twitter.com/NouMqPwYpF
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) May 15, 2026
In a statement, the Golden Knights said they “are aware of today’s announcement from the NHL” and that “the organization will have no further comment.” They did not say if they would appeal the punishment.
In the first round of the playoffs, Vegas canceled Tortorella’s media availability the day before Game 3 of the first-round series against the Utah Mammoth.
The Golden Knights will meet the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Finals, where they will presumably resume media availability after each game.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.