The NHL's Got Balls

IK - Is it just me, or is the idea of using a bunch of bouncing balls to figure out where future millionaire Sid Crosby's gonna play not a little nuts (no pun intended)? I mean, check this out...


THE SIDNEY CROSBY SWEEPSTAKES
Breaking down the NHL's Entry Draft
CBC Sports Online Last updated July, 21, 2005

There will be several key dates on the NHL agenda over the next few weeks. One of them will undoubtedly be July 22.

On the that day, the NHL will stage its draft lottery. At stake is the first overall pick in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, which will be held on July 30 in Ottawa. The team that wins the top pick will almost certainly select Sidney Crosby, widely considered the best junior player in the world. The NHL lottery gives every one of the NHL's 30 teams a shot at Crosby. The league has devised a weighted system to distribute the balls. For every playoff appearance in the last three years, or a No. 1 overall draft pick over the last four years, a team loses a ball. Each team gets at least one ball.

Here's the lottery set up:

Four clubs – Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins – will each have three balls in the lottery.

10 other teams will be given two opportunities to land Crosby. The Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Edmonton Oilers, L.A. Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators and Phoenix Coyotes all have two balls apiece.

The Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and Washington Capitals have one ball each.

IK - May the team with the most balls win!