NHL hits Golden Knights, John Tortorella with heavy punishment after media incident

Tortorella has always had an intense relationship with the media and has been known to storm out of news conferences, get into verbal back-and-forths with reporters, or refuse to take questions. But not showing up at all after a series-clinching playoff win, and not opening the locker room to reporters, is taking that to an entirely new level.

It was speculated on Friday that Vegas was sending a message to the league that it was unhappy with the one-game suspension handed to defenseman Brayden McNabb, which kept him out of their Game 6 win. 

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman made that connection on Friday, speculating that Tortorella likely did not want to talk about the suspension, along with the organization being mad about it.

It was a surprising decision by the league, but it was also the right call given the lateness of McNabb's hit on Ryan Poehling. 

The Golden Knights' disagreement, whether it is valid or not, does not give the team the freedom to violate other rules. Especially when they have already been warned about it this postseason.  

Now it is paying the price for its arrogance, and it is a high price. A second-round pick is significant, and especially so for Vegas. The Golden Knights are already without a second-round pick in 2027 and 2028 due to prior trades, and after losing their 2026 pick will now have zero second-round picks for the next three years.

The Golden Knights are also without first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 due to previous trades. 

That is a lot of draft capital out the door. While they at least have something to show for the prior picks in the form of trades, they will have nothing to show for this one. 

If nothing else, that pick could have been a big trade chip for the Golden Knights at the start of the offseason, or allowed them to add a reasonably talented prospect to a thin farm system. 

Now they do not have it. 

With this fine, Tortorella has now been fined more than a dozen times in his NHL head-coaching career, accounting for hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost salary. He has also been suspended four different times.