Saline Resident and NHL Hockey Writer Blasts LA Times Writer for Peddling Draft Lottery Conspiracy

Salinians may or may not know this, but one of the nation's most respected hockey writers is one of their own.

Nick Cotsonika, who covered the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Lions for the Detroit Free Press, now writes for the NHL.com website.

Contsonika and Los Angeles Times journalist Helene Elliot traded barbs on Twitter Monday after Elliot seemed to imply the NHL draft lottery was rigged for the New York Rangers.  

Cotsonika didn't appreciate the respected writer's implaction

Elliot didn't defend her position. Instead, she attacked Cotsonika's credibility as an employee of the NHL.

And then Cotsonika fired back.

NHL fans have floated draft lottery conspiracies since 2005, when the Penguins won the lottery and drafted Sidney Crosby. 

Each of the eight teams had one ball, or a 12.5 percent chance, in the lottery which was conducted on live television. 

Alexis Lafreniere, the World Junior Championship MVP for Team Canada and MVP of the Quebec League, is the overwhelming favorite to be drafted first overall. Lafreniere, however, isn't considered to be in the class of superstars like Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid.

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