The best amateur hockey players in the world will take center stage this week as the National Hockey League comes together to draft the next generation of superstars. All seven rounds of the two-day draft (Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8) will be available to watch on ESPN, ESPN+, or the NHL Network. The Montreal Canadiens have the top pick and are expected to select Canadian center Shane Wright. See if there is a surprise pick at No. 1 as well as the rest of the selections with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM.
How to Watch the 2022 NHL Draft
- When: First Round: Thursday, July 7 at 8 p.m. ET. Second through Seventh Rounds: Friday, July 8 at 11 a.m. ET.
- TV: ESPN, ESPN+, NHL Network
- Stream: Watch with a 5-Day Free Trial of DIRECTV STREAM.
About the 2022 NHL Draft
Breaking from tradition, the NHL will kick off its draft festivities on Thursday this year, breaking from the traditional Friday start day. Like the NFL, only the first round will take place on the opening night, but unlike its football counterpart, the NHL will run Rounds 2 through 7 on Friday.
In the United States, the first round will air on ESPN — with streaming on ESPN+ — on Thursday, July 7. Then on Friday, the NHL Network will take over the linear broadcast along with ESPN+ on streaming. In Canada, Sportsnet and TVA Sports will handle the broadcasting duties.
In addition to Wright, Slovak winger Juraj Slafkovsky, American center Logan Cooley, Slovak defender Simon Nemec, and Czech defenceman David Jiricek are expected to be in contention for early selection as well. The Colorado Avalanche, who won the Stanley Cup last month, will not have a first-round selection and won’t make their first pick until the very last selection of the third round — barring any trades.
NHL First Round Draft Order
| Pick | Team (original team’s pick if applicable) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens |
| 2 | New Jersey Devils |
| 3 | Arizona Coyotes |
| 4 | Seattle Kraken |
| 5 | Philadelphia Flyers |
| 6 | Columbus Blue Jackets (via Blackhawks) |
| 7 | Ottawa Senators |
| 8 | Detroit Red Wings |
| 9 | Buffalo Sabres |
| 10 | Anaheim Ducks |
| 11 | San Jose Sharks |
| 12 | Columbus Blue Jackets |
| 13 | New York Islanders |
| 14 | Winnipeg Jets |
| 15 | Vancouver Canucks |
| 16 | Buffalo Sabres (via Golden Knights) |
| 17 | Nashville Predators |
| 18 | Dallas Stars |
| 19 | Los Angeles Kings |
| 20 | Washington Capitals |
| 21 | Pittsburgh Penguins |
| 22 | Anaheim Ducks (from Boston Bruins) |
| 23 | St. Louis Blues |
| 24 | Minnesota Wild |
| 25 | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 26 | Montreal Canadiens (from Calgary Flames) |
| 27 | Arizona Coyotes (from Carolina Hurricanes via Montreal Canadiens) |
| 28 | Buffalo Sabres (from Florida Panthers) |
| 29 | Edmonton Oilers |
| 30 | Winnipeg Jets (from New York Rangers) |
| 31 | Tampa Bay Lightning |
| 32 | Arizona Coyotes (from Colorado Avalanche) |
| DTV STREAM | Fubo | Hulu | Philo | Sling TV | YouTube | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trial | Free Trial | Free 3-Day Trial | Free Trial | Get $10 Off | Sign Up | |||
| $79.99 | $91.99 | $76.99 | $25 | $40 | $40 | $72.99 | ||
| ESPN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | - | ✓ | - | ✓ | |
| NHL Network | $15 | $8 | - | - | $11 | $11 | - | |
All Live TV Streaming Services
Price: $79.99
Includes: ESPN + 30 Top Cable Channels
Add-on: $15 Sports Pack
Includes: NHL Network
Price: $40
Includes: ESPN + 16 Top Cable Channels
Add-on: $11 Sports Extra
Includes: NHL Network
Price: $91.99
Includes: ESPN + 24 Top Cable Channels
Add-on: $8 fubo Extra
Includes: NHL Network
Add-on: $11 Sports Plus
Includes: NHL Network
Price: $76.99
Includes: ESPN + 32 Top Cable Channels
Price: $72.99
Includes: ESPN + 31 Top Cable Channels