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Twitter reacts to Rangers winning 'rigged' NHL Draft Lottery

The 2020 NHL Draft Lottery was always going to be an unprecedented event in some forms, with the global pandemic uprooting some of the normal conventions we’ve come to expect.

Of course, some things will always remain the same, namely some conspiracy theories gaining legs, and this year is no different in that respect after the New York Rangers won the No. 1 overall pick, where they are widely expected to draft Rimouski Oceanic superstar Alexis Lafreniere, who in my estimation is the best prospect to enter the league since Auston Matthews did in 2016-17.

[Related: Rangers win No. 1 pick, rights to phenom Alexis Lafreniere]

The person responsible for dropping each of the eight team balls into the apparatus accidentally dropped the Rangers’ ball too early, leading some to believe that the result was predestined all along.

It’s not the first time a New York-based team has been involved in a prominent draft conspiracy theory either. In 1985, Patrick Ewing was considered the best college basketball prospect of the decade to date, after an outstanding four-year career at Georgetown.

It wouldn't be an NHL draft lottery without some unhealthy skepticism. (NHL Network)
It wouldn't be an NHL draft lottery without some unhealthy skepticism. (NHL Network)

Each team that was eligible for the lottery had their name placed into a separate envelope, with all eight teams sporting an equal 12.5 percent chance. David Stern, who was conducting his second draft as commissioner, drew the Knicks’ envelope from the inside, leading some to believe that the Knicks’ entry was “frozen” or marked ahead of time so they could select Ewing.

History aside, Twitter predictably did its thing in reacting to the Rangers’ moment of good fortune:

Carolina’s Twitter account is among the very best in the NHL and couldn’t help but point out its role in helping New York get the No. 1 pick. It’s not all bad for the Hurricanes, who gained the Maple Leafs’ No. 13 selection as part of the conditions from the Patrick Marleau buyout.

The Ernst and Young accountant might be seeing some ping-pong balls in his nightmares.

It must be rough for the other seven fan bases, who watched their teams fail to qualify for the playoffs, then miss out on the ultimate consolation prize. Twitter is an unforgiving place.

For what it’s worth, Lafreniere seems ready to move to New York.

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