Vegas, Tortorella Stay Silent on $100,000 Fine and Lost 2nd-Round Pick

8 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 16

Vegas and coach John Tortorella declined Saturday to explain or challenge the NHL’s $100,000 fine and forfeiture of the club’s second-round draft pick, keeping the issue alive days before the Western Conference final.
The penalties followed Tortorella’s refusal to meet reporters after Vegas clinched its series against Anaheim in Game 6; the league said the club had received multiple warnings.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Tortorella skipped his media duties and the post-series handshake line because he was angry about Brayden McNabb’s suspension from a Game 5 incident.
Tortorella did discuss the upcoming Colorado Avalanche series, but Vegas has not said whether it will appeal, leaving an unusual disciplinary fight hanging over a conference-final run.

Will Tortorella's costly defiance galvanize his team for a title run, or has he doomed their playoff chances?

Is losing a draft pick for media silence a just penalty or a warning shot in the NHL's war on dissent?

Can one coach's silent protest truly challenge league authority, or is it a futile gesture with harsh consequences?