Hockey world reacts to Maple Leafs winning 2026 NHL Draft Lottery

It will be a night to remember. When the lottery balls were flying around that machine and the No. 12 ball was revealed, making it so that the Toronto Maple Leafs walked away from the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery with the first-overall pick, every single hockey fan had something to say.

All across the globe, there were intense reactions. More intense than if the little Seattle Kraken climbed up to the top. More intense than if the Vancouver Canucks were to stay and claim the top pick. Because the Maple Leafs are at the centre of the hockey universe and everyone has an opinion on them (they generally hate them).

Fans took to social media, or held livestreams to get their reactions out to the Maple Leafs winning the Draft Lottery -- and they are priceless.

Maple Leafs react to winning the Draft Lottery

Of course, we'd rather start with the positives. To see our fellow Leafs fans jump for joy after our favourite team, with an 8.5 percent chance, was able to claim the top prize on Tuesday night and get the right to select Yukon superstar Gavin McKenna.

Again, it's just priceless. That was basically all of us. It's much more than the Leafs getting the Auston Matthews pick because of how purposeful that tanking season was. They sunk to the bottom because of bad coaching and terrible management and then were given the boost to get that first-overall selection.

Just pure joy.

And even the sister of the new Maple Leafs general manager got in on the fun with a fairly vague but certainly relatable reaction.

But of course, there is nothing sweeter than seeing fans of the 31 other teams completely melt down because of this result.

All 31 other fanbases hate that the Leafs won

It's just perfect. It's what we live for as Toronto Maple Leafs fans. Everyone does not like to see our favourite team successful in the slightest despite the entire league relying on this market so much more than anyone would like to admit.

Thanks for John Tavares, too.

And there's even some saltiness from some Red Wings fans. Who, we will have to admit, we feel slightly bad for since their team looked like complete garbage for the final two months of the season and they fell out of a playoff spot. They once held the top spot in the division!

And of course. Pete Blackburn of What Chaos! was cheering so hard for the Leafs to fall out of the top five so that the pick would go to his Boston Bruins. But not only did they retain their pick, but to have them win the entire lottery was just heartbreaking. God, it's just so good.

Some fan bases even held Draft Lottery parties at bars. And it's just so sweet to see a crowd of non-Leafs fans absolutely despise us.

Oh well. There's always next year for your incredibly terrible teams.

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