About NHL Draft

The NHL Entry Draft is the annual event through which every National Hockey League franchise selects the rights to eligible amateur hockey players. First held on June 5, 1963, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal as the NHL Amateur Draft, the inaugural event featured only the Original Six teams and was created to replace the existing sponsorship system that gave clubs exclusive rights to players from affiliated junior teams. The draft order was determined by reverse standings until 1995, when the NHL Draft Lottery was introduced for non-playoff teams. Known as the Amateur Draft until 1979, it became a public event in 1980 and was first televised in 1984, growing into one of hockey's most anticipated annual spectacles. North American players aged 18 to 20 are eligible, along with international players aged 18 to 21.