The 2004 and 2005 NHL Entry Drafts were two of the most star-studded drafts in the history of the NHL--featuring the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby. Together, these three superstars have amassed two Calder Memorial Trophies, three Art Ross Trophies, three Hart Memorial Trophies, one Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Stanley Cup Rings (albeit from the same team).
For those who are unfamiliar with the process, the NHL uses a lottery system to determine the order of selections to be made by the 14 teams who failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The five teams with the worst record through the regular season are the only teams with a chance of winning the first overall pick. The team with the worst record has the highest odds of winning; the team with the second worst record has the second highest odds, and so on.
What transpired in the 2004 and 2005 Drafts defied the odds predicted by the lottery for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pens finished the 2003-2004 regular season with the worst record in the NHL and were the front-runner to win the first overall selection in the 2004 Entry Draft--a spot desti ...
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Article written by J.R. Liput
Why The Pittsburgh Penguins Won by Losing The 2004 NHL Draft Lottery
May 8th, 2010 by J.R. Liput Leave a reply »
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