Plot Synopsis

Each year since 1963, the National Hockey League (NHL) has held its annual entry draft, during which teams select new players in the order determined by the NHL DRAFT LOTTERY and league standings of the previous season. The first NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal on June 5, 1963. All amateur players, 17 years of age and older who were not already sponsored by an NHL club, were eligible to be drafted, and Garry Monahan, a center from the St. Michael's Juveniles of Toronto, was selected first overall by the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) provided the first live network television coverage in 1984 -- with the Pittsburgh Penguins selecting Mario Lemieux with the fist pick -- and coverage in the United States was first provided by SportsChannel America in 1989.
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The 2023 NHL DRAFT airs live on Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29.

Round 1 (Wednesday, June 28, 2023 from 7-10pm ET/4-7pm PT on ESPN): ESPN's presentation of the first round of the draft from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN, features host John Buccigross with ESPN NHL analysts Kevin Weekes and Brian Boucher, ESPN NHL writer Emily Kaplan and draft and hockey analytics expert Meghan Chayka from on site in Nashville.

Rounds 2-7 (Thursday, June 29, 2023 from 11am-3pm ET/8am-Noon PT on NHL Network and ESPN+)