The new wave of hockey talent is being selected at the 2025 National Hockey League (NHL) Draft, unfolding today. This event is an annual spectacle and rite of passage where fresh, young prospective players from around the globe are introduced to the NHL. A dream realized for these young athletes, they strive to gain a foothold in the world’s most prestigious hockey league. The opening round of the draft kicked off on Friday, with a scheduled six rounds to be completed today.
Located in Los Angeles, the draft is being held at the renowned Peacock Center. Today’s agenda includes rounds seven through one, each allowing for diverse teams to grasp their future hockey stars. The selection order for the seventh round is established, starting with Tampa Bay at position 193, followed by Chicago, Buffalo, Los Angeles, Chicago again, and then Seattle.
The seventh round’s selection process continues, where after Seattle, the teams Buffalo, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Detroit, Columbus, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, San Jose, Detroit, Tampa Bay, and Ottawa get their chance to choose. Then, it moves on to Colorado, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Toronto, Columbus, Buffalo, Winnipeg, Carolina, Dallas, Edmonton, and Florida.
Today’s draft continues with the sixth round, following a predetermined order: New Jersey, Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston, NY Rangers, Buffalo, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Detroit, Columbus, Utah, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, New Jersey, St. Louis, Minnesota, Ottawa, Nashville, Carolina, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vegas, and finally, Winnipeg.
As the sixth round moves forward, the selection process passes onto the likes of Carolina, Dallas, Edmonton, and Florida. Subsequently, the fifth-round draft order commences with Florida, followed by Pittsburgh, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Buffalo, Anaheim, Toronto, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Detroit, Minnesota, Utah, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Dallas.
Moving firmly into the heart of the fifth round of today’s draft, St. Louis leads the pack to pick up the rising stars of Hockey. The city’s representatives are followed by Pittsburgh, Ottawa, San Jose, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vegas, Washington, Winnipeg, Philadelphia, Dallas, Anaheim, and Columbus in making the important selection of potential NHL players.
Transitioning into the fourth round, the draft order is determined as Ottawa, Chicago, New Jersey, Boston, Anaheim, Minnesota, Buffalo, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, Chicago, Montreal, Columbus, Utah, NY Rangers, Florida, Montreal, New Jersey, San Jose, Buffalo, Edmonton, Colorado, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Vegas, Washington, San Jose, Carolina, Dallas, Tampa Bay, and Florida.
Ensuring a day filled with suspense and excitement, the NHL draft powers through to its third round. The picking order initiates with Vancouver, then Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston, NY Rangers, Buffalo, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, NY Islanders, Detroit, Columbus, Utah, Montreal, Calgary, and Montreal again.
The third round advances with Montreal making another pick, followed by Edmonton, Pittsburgh (twice in succession), Toronto, Carolina, Los Angeles, NY Rangers, New Jersey, Vegas, Winnipeg, Washington, Dallas, San Jose, and Ottawa. As this round concludes, the stakes become higher with the draft order for the second round due up next.
As the emphasis falls on the second round, the sequence kicks off with San Jose, followed by Chicago, Nashville, Philadelphia, Washington, Seattle, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Montreal, NY Islanders, NY Rangers, Detroit, Anaheim, Utah, Vancouver, Philadelphia, Montreal, New Jersey, Boston, Minnesota, San Jose, Calgary, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Vegas, Pittsburgh, Anaheim, Boston, and Chicago.
Closing out the second round, New Jersey and Toronto have the final pickings. The heightened anticipation of the first-round picks is palpable, starting with the 17th to 32nd picks: NY Islanders intersecting with D Kashawn Aitcheson, Calgary Flames choosing C Cole Reschny, St. Louis Blues picking RW Justin Carbonneau, and Columbus Blue Jackets securing G Pyotr Andreyanov, among others.
The list of the first-round picks of the day continues, it includes Nashville Predators eyeing D Cameron Reid, Pittsburgh Penguins opting for LW Bill Zonnon and D Logan Hensler chosen by Ottawa Senators. This bustling activity is followed with Pittsburgh Penguins picking C William Horcoff, Chicago Blackhawks settling on RW Václav Nestrašil and Nashville Predators aligning with RW Ryker Lee.
Concluding the first round are magnificent picks such as D Sascha Boumedienne by Winnipeg Jets, C Mason West by Chicago Blackhawks, G Joshua Ravensbergen by San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings selecting D Henry Brzustewicz, and Calgary Flames ending the round with LW Cullen Potter. The first sixteen picks included outstanding choices such as D Matthew Schaefer by NY Islanders, C Michael Misa by San Jose Sharks, and C Anton Frondell by Chicago Blackhawks, among others.
Despite this year’s NHL Draft taking place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the team executives and personnels aren’t on the draft floor as in previous years. Instead, operations are being conducted virtually, with teams staying in their home cities. The league confirms the attendance of 93 prospects and about 3,000 fans in L.A. More than 100 cameras are in place to encapsulate the intense, remote decision-making processes of the front offices. Therefore, the NHL Draft 2025 commences its operation at Noon ET to select the future of hockey.