The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery’s live format, explained
The NHL will once again draw the draft lottery balls live on television. Here's how it will work.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in 2025 and has since been updated for 2026. The NHL is officially bringing back the live in-studio lottery ball drawing for the 2026 Draft Lottery. The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is set to take place on Tuesday night at 7 p.
m. ET and the controversial format is returning once more. Like last year, the lottery balls will be drawn live on television for everyone to see.
Gone are the days when ESPN accidentally leaked the draft order ahead of time, back when the lottery was previously drawn a few hours ahead of the broadcast before being shown off in dramatic fashion to fans. Yep, that's right, no more cards showcasing the draft order either. Just a bunch of NHL general managers and a lottery ball machine to decide the No.
1 overall pick for this summer's draft. But, how is this all going to work, you ask? Well, it's pretty similar to how the draft lottery usually works.