Where to watch NHL Draft Lottery: TV channel, live stream, time, odds for 2026 hockey event
The Canucks have the best odds to take the No. 1 overall pick, but the Blackhawks, Rangers or another team could sneak in and pull the upset. Here's when and there to watch the lottery.
Where to watch NHL Draft Lottery: TV channel, live stream, time, odds for 2026 hockey event originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The 2026 NHL Draft order will begin to take shape during the annual NHL Draft Lottery, one of the biggest events on the league’s offseason calendar.
The lottery will be held Tuesday, May 5, in the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, giving non-playoff teams a chance to land a franchise-changing pick while the postseason continues. The event determines the top selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, including which team will earn the No. 1 overall pick.
MORE: Stanley Cup playoffs TV schedule, scores The draft lottery has helped reshape several NHL franchises in recent years. In 2025, the New York Islanders won the lottery and used the No. 1 overall pick to select defenseman Matthew Schaefer.
This year, the Canucks enter the lottery in the best position to land the No. 1 overall pick. Vancouver has an 18.