The NHL Entry Draft, known as the NHL Amateur Draft until 1979, is an annual event where NHL teams select eligible ice hockey players. It takes place within two to three months after the regular season ends. Teams pick players from junior, collegiate, and European leagues. Since 1980, the draft has been a public event, and since 1984, it has been televised.
Initially determined solely by regular-season standings, a draft lottery was introduced in 1995. Until 2012, lottery winners could move up a maximum of four places. From 2013 to 2015, the lottery guaranteed the top pick to the winner. From 2015 to 2020, three lottery winners could get top-three picks. In 2021, the system changed to two lottery winners, each guaranteed a top-two pick. Starting in 2022, lottery winners can move up a maximum of ten places, ensuring competitive fairness in team selections.
NHL Draft Lottery
The NHL Draft Lottery includes the 16 teams that did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Its purpose is to determine the order of selection for the NHL Entry Draft, providing struggling teams with an opportunity to secure top talent and improve their competitive standing in future seasons.
The lottery process consists of two separate draws: one for the first overall pick and another for the second overall pick. This ensures that the top two picks are not necessarily awarded to the teams with the worst records, promoting fairness and unpredictability in the draft order.
Each participating team is assigned odds based on their regular-season performance. The team with the worst record among non-playoff teams holds the highest chance of winning the first overall pick, typically around 25%. Odds decrease incrementally for teams with better records among the non-playoff teams, reflecting their lower need for draft help.
Through the draft lottery, a team can move up as many as 10 positions in the draft order relative to their regular-season finish. Conversely, teams can only drop a maximum of two spots from their pre-lottery position, ensuring that the teams with the poorest regular-season records have a fair chance to improve their draft position.
Starting in 2022, the NHL implemented a rule to prevent excessive lottery wins by limiting how often a team can move up in the draft order through the lottery. This rule stipulates that no team can advance through the draft order via lottery wins more than twice in a five-year period, aiming to maintain balance and competitiveness across the league.
How does the NHL Expansion Draft work?
The NHL Expansion Draft is a pivotal event for new franchises entering the league, such as the Seattle Kraken in recent years. Existing NHL teams must submit lists of protected players, shielding a specified number of their roster from potential selection by the expansion team.
Teams can choose to protect either seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender, or eight skaters (forwards/defensemen) and one goaltender. Players with no-movement clauses must be protected unless they waive this right.
Additionally, certain players, such as those in their first or second professional year, are automatically protected. During the draft, the expansion team selects one player from each existing team, adhering to rules about the types of players available (e.g., a minimum number of defensemen and forwards must be exposed).
Who won the 2024 NHL draft lottery?
The San Jose Sharks won the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, securing the No. 1 pick in the upcoming Upper Deck NHL Draft. This marks the first time in their history that the Sharks have the top pick, having previously picked second three times.
With an 18.5 percent chance of winning, the Sharks edged out the Chicago Blackhawks, who will pick second, and the Anaheim Ducks, who will pick third. The draft will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas on June 28-29. The Sharks are expected to select Boston University center Macklin Celebrini, the top-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting.
NHL Draft Order 2024
The first 28 picks of the 2024 NHL Draft have been determined following the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The San Jose Sharks, having won the NHL Draft Lottery, hold the No. 1 pick, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 2, and the Anaheim Ducks at No. 3. Other notable picks include the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 4 and the Montreal Canadiens at No. 5.
The draft will take place at Sphere in Las Vegas, with the first round on June 28. The order for picks 29-32 will be set based on the results of the conference finals and the Stanley Cup Final. Several teams, including the Sharks, Blackhawks, Canadiens, Senators, and Flames, have multiple first-round selections, with trades influencing the draft order.
FAQs
Players are usually eligible in the calendar year they turn 18 years old. For example, for the 2024 draft, players must be born between January 1, 2004, and September 15, 2006.
Yes, players from outside North America born in certain years can also be eligible for the NHL Draft if they meet the criteria.
The San Jose Sharks hold the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, marking the first time they have held this position in franchise history.
The Utah Hockey Club holds the most draft picks with 13 selections, followed by the Montreal Canadiens with 12 picks.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is scheduled for June 28-29, 2024, and will be held at The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.
