Page 45 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No_122

www.sportsenergynews.com Issue #122 March 2023 45

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Energy N e w s presents Sports Panel

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Stories And More About The People In Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
Historically, professional sports teams have been accused of purposely losing games to improve
their draft position.
Do you think NHL teams are “tanking” this year, so they have a better chance of drafting consensus
number one pick Conner Bedard?
Jake Lapierre - Conditioning Coach - This year’s top draft pick, Conner Bedard, will certainly be a prized addition to any club; however,
one player does not make a team. Professional athletes run on competitive instinct and compete to the best of their capabilities to win.
They hate to lose. I believe professional sports clubs would be making a serious mistake purposely losing games and tanking a season to
improve their draft position. From a fan’s perspective, tanking a season threatens the integrity of the club, the players, management, the
league, and the sport itself. The NHL has too much at stake to allow it to happen. Fans pay a lot to see players and teams compete - if
my favourite team purposely tanked a season for a draft pick, I would keep my money in my pocket and find a new team to cheer on.

Jim Riddell - Seaway Karate Club - According to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, teams do not tank because of the league’s weighted
lottery. The team that finishes in last place this season will only have a 13.5% chance of winning the lottery and choosing Connor Bedard
with the first pick. Bedard, known as a generational talent, is likely the best prospect to come along since Connor McDavid in 2015.
There are several teams who are still in the early stages of rebuilding that would probably like to increase their odds of landing either
Bedard, or any one of the other prospects in the top tier of the first round who have the potential to become an elite player in the league.
The decision to tank would have to come from the ownership and upper management level. Players are there to win - they need to
perform to keep their jobs and to earn their next contract. The same goes for the coaching staff. The GMs of the teams, the sellers, will
be trading off players for picks, often retaining salary, which helps teams that are close to the cap in exchange for more draft capital. As
a result, these organizations ice a weaker team that may not be as competitive for the remainder of the season. Is this tanking? Well, not
according to Commissioner Bettman.

Peter Collins - Sports Enthusiast - This years race to the bottom of the standings might be articulated as “Bombing for Bedard”. If
you watched Connor Bedard at this year’s Junior tournament, you would understand why teams might lose purposely to get a shot at
drafting him. Drafting him first might give a team a chance at the next Crosby or McDavid. Due to this tanking phenomenon, most major
leagues have implemented a system were finishing last doesn’t guarantee the first pick. It now just increases your odds based on a lottery
system. What this has created is more teams that have become imaginative near the trading deadline. They swap what good players they
have, in order to spin the wheel of chance to get a lottery pick. In 2003 and 2005 the Penguins drafted Fleury and Crosby and they were
cornerstones of their move to the top of the standings and Stanley Cups. However there’s no guarantee, look at Edmonton they had three
consecutive number one picks ten years ago and they struggled until they drafted McDavid number one in 2015. Even with McDavid,
there’s no Stanley Cup in Edmonton yet. One thing is almost assured, this year’s crop of low performing teams will not be dillydallying
at the March 3rd trade deadline. Teams like, Montreal, Chicago, Anaheim, and Arizona will get rid of their assets to try and increase
their chances of drafting first overall. In “Bombing for Bedard” the worst of the 32 NHL teams will have an 18.5% chance of a direct hit!

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