How to Watch NHL Draft Lottery 2026: Channel, Live Stream & Start Time for Pick Order Show originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh.
Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NHL Draft Lottery, one of the biggest offseason events for the NHL, takes place on May 5 and determines the top selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, including which team will earn the No. 1 overall pick.
The lottery is during the middle of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, giving non-playoff teams a chance to land a franchise-changing pick while the postseason continues.
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 18.5 percent chance to win the first lottery draw, but its actual odds of receiving the top pick are even better at 25.5 percent because of the NHL’s 10-spot move-up limit.
The Blackhawks have the next-best odds at 13.5 percent, followed by the Rangers at 11.5 percent. The Flames, Leafs’ conditional pick, Kraken, Jets and Panthers are also among the teams near the top of the lottery order.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.
How to watch NHL Draft Lottery 2026: TV channel, live stream
This year’s NHL Draft Lottery will air nationally on ESPN. Hockey fans can stream the event on fubo and the ESPN app.
Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB and college sports, plus “SportsCenter,” “First Take” and all your favorite ESPN shows — anytime, anywhere — only in the new ESPN app.
NHL Draft Lottery 2026 start time
- Date: Tuesday, May 5
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday, May 5, at NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.
The lottery is one of the most important offseason events for teams that missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It determines the order for the first 16 picks in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, giving non-playoff teams — or teams that acquired those draft slots through trades — a chance to move up the board.
This year’s lottery will again feature a live drawing of the lottery balls, allowing fans to follow the process in real time as teams are eliminated and the odds shift. The event will be conducted in two phases: one drawing to determine the No. 1 overall pick and another to determine the No. 2 overall pick.
Under the NHL’s current lottery rules, teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots if they win a lottery drawing. That means only the top 11 teams in the lottery odds are eligible to land the No. 1 pick.
