Social media explodes as Maple Leafs win NHL Draft lottery

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The wildest dreams of Maple Leafs fans became a reality on Tuesday night, while for many other hockey fans it was a waking nightmare.

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During the NHL’s annual draft lottery, Toronto was awarded the first-overall pick, giving the franchise a major boost after missing the playoffs for the first time in 10 years.

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It was especially big for the team since, as the result of a trade last year, the Leafs had a 58.2% chance of losing their pick to the Boston Bruins due to certain protections attached. The Leafs had a chance of just 8.5% of winning the lottery, along with 8.6% of picking second and 24.5% of staying at fifth overall.

“In the midst of ‘it’s so over,’ I found there was, within me, an invincible ‘we’re so back,’” one user shared on Reddit.

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“The two most negative days ever have come to a screeching halt,” one user posted, referring to the controversial appointment of John Chayka as the team’s new GM.

Several people on X began posting mock images of top-rated prospect Gavin McKenna wearing a Leafs uniform.

On the team’s official X account on Wednesday morning, the Maple Leafs posted a reaction video showing new front-office duo Mats Sundin and John Chayka celebrating the lottery win.

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“Smiling ear to ear, you?” the post was captioned.

Was the lottery ‘rigged’?

But as fans of the Maple Leafs rejoiced after improbably winning the NHL Draft lottery, things weren’t so pleasant outside of Leafs Nation.

“Of course they get the lifeline of the century to save a retool,” one fan wrote on Reddit.

“I don’t even care if it’s not rigged, I will forever claim this s*** is rigged from here on out,” another replied.

“Toronto being bad for the 1st time in a decade and immediately getting another 1st overall pick is absurd,” a third wrote, referencing the Leafs’ prior first picks Auston Matthews and Wendel Clark.

Many fans on social media also compared the situation to that of the Dallas Mavericks. Last year the NBA franchise traded away superstar Luka Doncic to the L.A. Lakers, only to then collapse down the stretch and go on to win the draft lottery and select new phenom Cooper Flagg.

What are some of the best jokes?

There also were plenty of jokes to go around on social media.

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“This is genuinely one of the funniest moments in the history of the sport,” one user wrote.

One fan on X compared former Leafs GM Brad Treliving to Homer Simpson by posting his name and a screenshot from the long-running TV show that defines “Pulling a Homer” as “to succeed despite idiocy.”

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Treliving, of course, put the team in a precarious position by including the Leafs’ 2026 first-round pick to Boston at last year’s trade deadline, though the selection had protections if it fell in the Top 5.

Another user pointed out that in the past 10 years, the Maple Leafs now have more lottery wins than playoff series wins.

“You guys notice our luck improving the second Paul Bissonnette ditched the Leafs?” one user on X joked.

What about Canucks fans?

Others simply felt bad for the Vancouver Canucks, who finished the NHL regular season with by far the worst record in the league.

“Stay with us, ‘Nucks bros. Don’t go towards the light,” a Montreal Canadiens supporter commented on Reddit.

“The world is a cruel and unjust place,” another posted.

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