The lottery balls are ready to help shape the future of the NHL.
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday night at NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, N.J., where the league will determine the order for the first two picks in this year’s draft. All 16 non-playoff teams — or teams that acquired those draft slots through trades — are part of the lottery, but only the top 11 teams in the lottery order are eligible to land the No. 1 overall pick because of the NHL’s 10-spot move-up rule.
Gavin McKenna has become the headline name of the 2026 NHL Draft class.
The Penn State standout is viewed as one of the top prizes available, giving the team that lands the No. 1 overall pick a chance to add a potential franchise-changing talent. That is what makes the Draft Lottery so important for teams near the top of the odds board, including the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.
Here is how the NHL Draft Lottery results unfolded and which team earned the right to make the first selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.
NHL Draft picks 2026: Full list of results from NHL Draft Lottery
This section will be updated after the picks are drawn on May 5.
How to watch NHL Draft Lottery 2026: TV channel, live stream
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be aired nationally on ESPN on Tuesday night. Fans can live stream the event with the ESPN app or fubo.
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NHL Draft Lottery 2026 start time
- Date: Tuesday, May 5
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will start at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 5. The event, which determines the first 16 picks for non-playoff teams, will take place at the NHL Network studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.
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