No need to delay the inevitable any longer.
The consensus No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft has been well-known for years, and it’s almost time to make it official.
The Chicago Blackhawks have the first pick after winning the high-stakes draft lottery and will use it to select Connor Bedard, a player projected to be hockey’s next star. The Blackhawks, who entered the lottery with the third-best odds at 11.5 percent chance of winning, will land a generational talent who could quickly turn the franchise from lottery favorite to championship contender.
While there’s no suspense regarding the first pick in the draft, there is plenty of intrigue and mystery surrounding the picks that round out the top five. Where will the coveted prospects behind Bedard end up?
Here’s everything to know about how to watch the 2023 NHL Draft.
When is the 2023 NHL Draft?
The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft is on Wednesday, June 28. It will be held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The second round through the seventh round will be on Thursday, June 29.
What time is the 2023 NHL Draft?
The first round of the 2023 NHL Draft begins at 7 p.m. ET.
What channel is the NHL Draft on?
The first round of the NHL draft will air on ESPN. On Sunday, rounds two through round seven will air on NHL Network beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
How to stream the 2023 NHL Draft
A live stream of the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft will be available on the ESPN app and ESPN+. Thursday’s rounds can be streamed on ESPN+.
What is the NHL draft order?
The first 16 picks of the draft were determined by the lottery. Picks 17 through 28 went to teams that lost during the first two rounds of the playoffs, with teams that did not win their division in inverse order of regular-season point totals, followed by division winners in inverse order. Next is the conference runner ups, followed by the Stanley Cup Final runner up and champion.
Who are the top prospects in the 2023 NHL Draft?
Connor Bedard – The 17-year-old Regina Pats forward led the WHL in regular-season scoring with 71 goals and 143 points in 57 games. At the 2023 World Juniors, Bedard set the record for most career points by a Canadian (36) and most career goals by a Canadian (17).
Adam Fantilli – The freshman forward at Michigan was named the recipient of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the top player in American college hockey. Fantilli led the NCAA in points (65) and goals (30) and was fifth in assists (35) in 36 games.
Will Smith – The center is a crafty puck-handler who helped the United States win gold at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship in April. He registered nine goals and 11 assists in seven games to match the U.S. tournament record of 20 points set by Jack Hughes in 2019. The 18-year-old is committed to Boston College.
Matvei Michkov – Once an early contender to threaten Connor Bedard for first overall, the Russian star scored 70 goals at the Russian U-16 level and, in his age-16 season at the U-20 level, set a record for most goals by a 16-year-old at the MHL level with 38 goals and 56 points. After splitting time between the MHL and KHL this season, Michkov scored 13 postseason goals, including the championship winner.
Leo Carlsson – The 18-year-old center tallied 10 goals and 15 assists in 44 regular-season games with Örebro HK of the Swedish Hockey League. A strong playmaker and puck carrier, Carlsson helped Sweden win gold at the 2022 World Under-18 Championship.
