When is the 2022 NHL Draft? Dates, time, TV channel, stream to watch top prospects get selected

The Stanley Cup Final wrapped up on Monday, with the Avalanche defeating the Lightning in Game 6 to mark the end of the 2021-22 NHL season.

Now, the focus shifts to the beginning of next season, and the first item on deck is the 2022 NHL Draft, where teams get a chance to stock up on their system with prospects.

There will be 224 teenagers whose dreams will come true, getting the call that they’ve been selected by an NHL team.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft.

NHL MOCK DRAFT 2022: Canadiens take Shane Wright with No. 1 pick

When is the 2022 NHL Draft ?

• Day 1 date: Thursday, July 7
• Day 1 start time: 7 p.m. ET
• Day 2 date: Friday, July 8
• Day 2 start time: 11 a.m. ET

The draft spans the course of two days. On Thursday, July 7, the first round will take place, with representatives from all teams selecting with the first 32 picks in Montreal. That will begin at 7 p.m. ET.

On Friday, July 8, the remaining picks in Rounds 2-7 will be selected. The day begins with the second round at 11 a.m. ET.

Where is the 2022 NHL Draft?

• Venue: Bell Centre
• City: Montreal  

The Bell Centre, the home of the Montreal Canadiens, will be the location of the 2022 NHL Draft.

This is the first time since 2009 that Montreal will host the draft. In total, it is the 27th time the city has been the home of the annual event.

Montreal was supposed to host the draft in 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic the event was held virtually for health and safety reasons.

MORE: Who is Shane Wright?

How to watch the 2022 NHL Draft

• U.S. TV channel: ESPN, NHL Network
• Canada TV channel: Sportsnet, TVA Sports
• U.S. stream: ESPN+
• Canada stream: SN NOW

The first round of the draft will be on ESPN for the American audience. The second day will be broadcast live on the NHL Network. You can stream both days on ESPN+.

For the Canadian audience, both days of the draft will be on Sportsnet, as well as TVA Sports in French.

Who are the top prospects in the 2022 NHL Draft?

This year’s class is expected to be a weaker one. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t loads of talent to be taken in the first round.

Shane Wright has been the consensus No. 1 pick for a couple of seasons. The talented forward from the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs has recorded 143 points in 110 games so far as a member of the team.

However, after Wright, there is no clear-cut answer at No. 2 and beyond. There are a number of skilled players coming out of Slovakia, such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec, as well as Finland with Brad Lambert and Joakim Kemell. And, of course, the U.S. and Canada will have a plethora of representatives taken, with Logan Cooley and Matthew Savoie projected to be top-10 picks.

MORE: Who is Logan Cooley?

Here is a look at the top-10 ranked players each from North American and Europe, according to NHL’s Central Scouting.

Which team has selected first overall in the past?

The draft was first created for the 1963 NHL season. This will be the 60th draft in the history of the NHL.

The Canadiens have made the most No. 1 picks with five, and will make it six on July 7. The Ducks, Canucks, Wild, Hurricanes, Predators, Sharks, Flames and Kraken have never received the first pick in the draft.

Here is a look at which teams got the No. 1 picks from the last 10 drafts and who they selected at first overall.