Determining Final Draft Lottery Positions

[bmoy88]

So I understand the the basics of the the DLP, but how do they come to determine the final positions? We see Bill Daley opening the envelopes and flipping the team logos but how do they get there?

From what little info I have found on the internet, I have gathered that it is done with 1,000 ping pong balls in a BINGO style tumbler with the 30th placed team getting 250 balls and quantities decreasing as the positions go up to the 17th (and final) place team getting only 5 balls.

Can someone confirm that this is the actual way it is done and has this ever been recorded? Not a conspiracy theorist - just curious!

[30ranfordfan]

I'm not sure if the actual ping-pong ball part gets recorded, or if they just broadcast the results....


I also don't know the numbers, but I did find the percentage change you have of your ball coming out:

30th - 25.0%
29th - 18.8%
28th - 14.2%
27th - 10.7%
26th - 8.1%
25th - 6.2%
24th - 4.7%
23rd - 3.6%
22nd - 2.7%
21st - 2.1%
20th - 1.5%
19th - 1.1%
18th - 0.8%
17th - 0.5%


(And that lines up well with your 250 / 1000 counts - so you're probably right).


The key thing though, so whatever team wins - can only move up 4 spots.... so if you finished better than 26th overall, you have no chance to get the first pick. They only draw one team - and that team moves up.

[bmoy88]

I'm not sure if the actual ping-pong ball part gets recorded, or if they just broadcast the results....


I also don't know the numbers, but I did find the percentage change you have of your ball coming out:

30th - 25.0%
29th - 18.8%
28th - 14.2%
27th - 10.7%
26th - 8.1%
25th - 6.2%
24th - 4.7%
23rd - 3.6%
22nd - 2.7%
21st - 2.1%
20th - 1.5%
19th - 1.1%
18th - 0.8%
17th - 0.5%


(And that lines up well with your 250 / 1000 counts - so you're probably right).


The key thing though, so whatever team wins - can only move up 4 spots.... so if you finished better than 26th overall, you have no chance to get the first pick. They only draw one team - and that team moves up.

Yeah, I know that part but was just wondering about the process. Is it ping-pong ball style or is it computer-generated random.

But "Thanks" for replying.

[Estovia]

In the past it was a ping-pong style like most lottery drawings are. (um.. assuming you have that in Canada...)

I haven't watched since the lockout though. - you know.. the one where all 1000 balls had Pittsburgh written on them.

[bmoy88]

I just can't imagine a hopper with 1,000 balls bouncing around!

[HOCKEY68]

I just can't imagine a hopper with 1,000 balls bouncing around!

I can't believe edmonton jumped to 29th,next season 28th??

[Estovia]

To be honest, I think what EDM won here was the ability to get more for trading down. They could get the top D in the draft and pick up pick(s) and/or prosepect(s) by trading down into 3/4/5.

Nobody would slam them for taking Yakupov, but I have to wonder how much another forward would really help when put up against the prospects of a franchise blueliner, which they lack.