The NHL Board of Governors has approved new rules for the NHL lottery project, which will help last-place teams but restrict perpetual losers from winning more lotteries, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.
The rules will be implemented starting with the 2022 lottery. TSN was the first to report approval.
The biggest change to the current system is that the lottery will only determine the first two choices in the project, rather than having three different lotteries for the first three choices.
This change was influenced by the 2020 lottery, in which Detroit Red Wings – which had the worst record in the league (17-49-5) and the best odds for the first general election (18.5%) – reached to choose the fourth general as the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators won the lottery for the first three elections.
“There are some clubs that think it’s important for the teams that struggle the most to get the most help. There are other teams that think there’s nothing wrong with the current system,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said recently. “Our competitive balance is so great that some clubs feel that the difference between a team that misses the playoffs and a team that really misses the playoffs is not so great. a little tweak [was necessary]. “
Another change in the lottery project is that teams can move a maximum of 10 sports just by winning one of the two lotteries. Therefore, only 11 of the 16 teams that miss the playoffs will be eligible for the first general election.
Finally, the NHL has decided that a franchise can win the lottery no more than twice in a five-year period. This is not exclusive to the first general election: it means that a team cannot advance due to a lottery victory more than twice in a five-year period.
The Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils have been the poster franchises for this rule change, each winning the lottery three times since 2010.
“I don’t think there are any reservations at stake. I think our players and our organizations, our coaches are too professional. But there is always speculation,” Bettman said recently.