The Toronto Maple Leafs won the 2016 NHL draft lottery, the Winnipeg Jets moved up to pick second and the Edmonton Oilers tumbled to fourth spot, in a dramatic turn of events that sent shockwaves of elation, anger and angst through hockey fans on social media.
Maple Leafs fans exalted over their team winning the right to select Auston Matthews, the American-born centre who spent his draft year playing against adults in Switzerland.
Last time #Leafs picked 1st overall, I was in diapers. Right now, I may need one. #HellYeah
— Gurdeep Ahluwalia (@GurdeepA) May 1, 2016
There might be a parade.....#leafs #NHLDraftLottery
— Hayley Wickenheiser (@wick_22) May 1, 2016
This is real right? #Leafs
— Toronto Sports Cynic (@TDotSportsGuy) May 1, 2016
The Hockey God's have answered #Leafs #1
— Shiv (@shivs_here) May 1, 2016
This is the first time I've ever seen something positive happen to the #leafs #TMLtalk
— Tommy DeVito (@samuraimack) May 1, 2016
But while Leafs fans were excited, others were quick to mock the franchise that finished in last place in the 2015-16 NHL season.
Auston Matthews looks about as excited about going to the #Leafs as McDavid did last year when he learned the #Oilers would be taking him.
— David Olinger (@David_W_Olinger) May 1, 2016
Wow Matthews looks so depressed. I would be too going to the #leafs.
— robin gill (@robina_g) May 1, 2016
It's bad if I all of a sudden want Auston Matthews to have a career ending injury, right? #lottery #leafs
— Mike Johnson (@MJohnsonPoker) May 1, 2016
Many hockey fans openly mocked the Edmonton Oilers, who fell to fourth spot after the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets leapfrogged them in the draft order. The Oilers won last year's draft lottery, and have selected first overall in four of the last six years.
You can breathe again, Hockey Twitter. The #Oilers have the fourth-overall pick this year. #NHLDraftLottery pic.twitter.com/XAbmQCGFkt
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) May 1, 2016
I'll take sore loser oiler fans over bad winners oilers fans everytime
— 4.5FingerDeathPunch (@Deringer45) May 1, 2016
THANK GOD OILERS GOT 4th
— team rocket (@snizzbon3) May 1, 2016
OILERS LOST THE LOTTO! FINALLY!
— Ryan Frahm (@stlblues09) May 1, 2016
We all breathing a little easier knowing the Oilers don't get another number one pick.
— DC (@thelineexists) May 1, 2016
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and Toronto Mayor John Tory had a little fun with each other over the results.
Rielly, Nylander, Marner, Matthews. Exciting. #TMLtalk #NHLDraftLottery
— John Tory (@JohnTory) May 1, 2016
Congrats, @JohnTory! Tho, there's nothing like that 4th time your team wins the #NHLDraftLottery... @EdmontonOilers https://t.co/VmwPGd4L5A
— Don Iveson (@doniveson) May 1, 2016
.@doniveson @EdmontonOilers you would know best Don!
— John Tory (@JohnTory) May 1, 2016
One Oilers fan even went so far as to suggest the lottery is "rigged," after his team missed out on its fifth win in seven years.
#DraftLottery is rigged, Oilers should have got 1st pick
— D. Demarco-Sutton (@Damien12Sutton) May 1, 2016
The lottery process was supervised by accounting firm Ernst & Young.
The 2016 NHL draft will be held on June 24 in Buffalo.
The 14 non-playoff teams will pick in the following order in the first round:
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Winnipeg Jets
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Edmonton Oilers
- Vancouver Canucks
- Calgary Flames
- Arizona Coyotes
- Buffalo Sabres
- Montreal Canadiens
- Colorado Avalanche
- New Jersey Devils
- Ottawa Senators
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Boston Bruins