NHL draft lottery will be held Monday

NEW YORK >> The NHL will hold its draft lottery next Monday with the San Jose Sharks holding the best chance of getting the top pick for the second straight season.

The lottery to determine the top 16 picks in the June draft will be held at the NHL Network’s studio in New Jersey and broadcast on ESPN.

The lottery is conducted in two phases with the first to determine the No. 1 pick and the second to determine the No. 2 pick. Teams can only move up 10 spots in the order, meaning only the bottom 11 teams have a chance at the first pick.

This draft is not considered to be one of the stronger ones in recent years at the top with defenseman Matthew Schaefer and center Michael Misa of the Ontario Hockey League ranked by the league’s central scouting bureau as the top two North American skaters available.

The Sharks won the lottery last year and picked Macklin Celebrini first overall. Celebrini had 25 goals and 38 assists in an impressive rookie season but San Jose still finished with the worst record in the NHL.

That gives the Sharks a 25.5% chance of getting the No. 1 pick again, either by winning the lottery or if the teams in the 12th through 16th spots win and can’t move up to No. 1.

Rick Tocchet won’t return as Canucks coach

VANCOUVER, British Columbia >> Rick Tocchet is not returning as coach of the Vancouver Canucks, the team announced Tuesday, plunging them into another search and making him a top candidate for several vacancies around the NHL.

Tocchet’s departure comes after 2 1/2 seasons in Vancouver since replacing Bruce Boudreau in January 2023. He won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2024 for guiding the Canucks to a 50-win season and first place in the Pacific Division.

Vancouver dealt with locker room drama between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson for several months, did not have injured captain Quinn Hughes at times and missed the playoffs. Miller was traded to the New York Rangers at the end of January, and Tocchet was critical of Pettersson in his season-ending news conference.

Tocchet did not have a contract moving forward and decided not to sign another with the Canucks.

Luka Doncic donates entire cost of restoring vandalized Kobe Bryant mural in Los Angeles

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. >> Luka Doncic has stepped up to pay the entire expected cost of restoring a vandalized mural depicting Kobe and Gigi Bryant in downtown Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ new guard made a $5,000 donation Tuesday to cover the entire goal of a GoFundMe page created by artist Louie Palsino. He wants to restore the mural, titled “Mambas Forever,” at 14th and Main streets.

“It was always important to give back to the community,” Doncic said after practice at the Lakers’ training complex. “They gave me so much, so I just want to give back.”

The Slovenian superstar joined the Lakers less than three months ago in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks. He teamed with LeBron James to lead the Lakers to the Pacific Division title and the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but Los Angeles is on the brink of elimination Wednesday night when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit for Game 5 with a 3-1 series lead.

Bryant spent his entire 20-year career with the Lakers, winning five championships and becoming the top scorer in franchise history. After Kobe and Gigi Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020, hundreds of murals and public art projects honoring them sprung up around Southern California.

— The Associated Press