The Chicago Blackhawks are still reeling from a sexual assault cover-up that forever tainted their Stanley Cup dynasty and cost the jobs of general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville.
The Hawks spent all of last season openly tanking, trading away stars like Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and pretty much every player any opposing team even looked at.
It was all rewarded on Monday night as Chicago won the NHL Draft lottery and the right to select generational talent Connor Bedard No. 1 overall.
It all felt gross.
For NHL fans, it was also infuriating. The Blackhawks were hockey’s golden child throughout the 2010s and have barely paid for the crimes committed while atop the league.
The internet did not take kindly to Monday’s development.
NHL fans were furious
Heartbreaking: The worst hockey organization you know just won a great player
— Jesse Connolly (@jtchockey) May 9, 2023
I hope Chicago is a good place for the kid. The franchise has a hell of a lot of recent sins. https://t.co/Zr5t1Mt2yb
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) May 9, 2023
Among the top 20 trending topics in the U.S. right now:
Blackhawks
Rigged
Gary Bettman
Kyle Beach— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 9, 2023
Tonight should have been a night for celebration but instead, so many hockey fans are furious at the results. Best sport, worst league
— Mary Clarke (@marycclarke) May 9, 2023
draft lottery recap pic.twitter.com/uPTqy0a3lI
— Hailey Salvian (@hailey_salvian) May 9, 2023
the worst part of the actual result of tonight's draft lottery is that the Blackhawks probably shouldn't even have their first-rounder after the Kyle Beach situation.
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 9, 2023
Arizona: holds predraft workouts, loses 1st rounder
New Jersey: signs Ilya Kovalchuk to a contract that was legal at the time, loses 1st rounder
Chicago: covers up sexual abuse for a decade, Connor Bedard
— John Cullen (@cullenthecomic) May 9, 2023
The Chicago Blackhawks covered up sexual assault and get rewarded with Connor Bedard. I'm done.
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) May 9, 2023
I’m not a big conspiracy theory guy, and I’m grateful for tonight’s NHL lottery, but that’s definitely rigged, right? Doesn’t the NHL have a ton to gain from the Blackhawks having a generational superstar or am I crazy?
— Chuck Livingston (@ChuckNasty870) May 9, 2023
Yeah this part of it sucks too. You want a guy like Bedard to be great because it's great for hockey but not in that organization. NOPE. https://t.co/RTZ82MWtNw
— Rachel (@rmiriam) May 9, 2023
The lottery isn’t rigged the universe is just cruel
— Michael Clifford (@SlimCliffy) May 9, 2023
Last thing I'll say about Chicago is you do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to them".
— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) May 9, 2023
