NHL Draft Lottery results 2023: Blackhawks win Connor Bedard sweepstakes, land No. 1 pick
Connor Bedard, you are (almost) a Chicago Blackhawk.
The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery was on Monday night where the first half of the draft order was determined. The Blackhawks won the first overall pick and are going to be the very likely suitors for Bedard.
Bedard is considered to be the next superstar in the NHL, coming off one of the strongest draft years in history with the WHL's Regina Pats. Whoever selects him is getting a certified sniper who can be the centerpiece for a rebuilding club.
It's not just Bedard either. This draft class is considered to be one of the strongest in recent history.
While losing the No. 1 pick will be disappointing, the consolation prizes for teams like the Ducks, Blue Jackets and Sharks after Bedard are quite impressive. Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson and Will Smith are all billed as elite talents that will be taken off the board early on draft day.
The Sporting News tracked the results of the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery.
NHL Draft Lottery results 2023
Here are the results of the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery. The Blackhawks won the lottery and will pick first in the 2023 NHL Draft.
The remaining 16 slots (Nos. 17-32) will be determined by the results of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.
NHL Draft Lottery No. 1 pick odds
The NHL used a draft lottery system to determine who gets the first selection on draft day. A club's final position in the standings correlates to a certain percentage that it has to land the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery.
Since teams could only move up as far as 10 spots in a draft, there are only 11 teams that have a chance at the first overall pick. Teams that finished from Nos. 12-16 can win the lottery and move up to a top spot, but it won't be further than 10 places up.
The Ducks finished with the worst record in the NHL this season, so they have the highest odds of landing the No. 1 pick in the draft. While Anaheim technically was only given an 18.5% chance, they got the No. 1 pick if any of the teams slotted from Nos. 12-16 win the lottery. So their number was bumped up to 25.5%.
Here were those chances, based on where teams finished in the 2022-23 regular season.
What time is the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery?
- Date: Monday, May 8
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NHL draft will be determined on Monday, May 8. The draft lottery is scheduled to take place at 8 p.m.
The 2023 NHL Draft will take place June 28 and 29.
What channel is the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery on?
ESPN will be home to the 2023 NHL Draft lottery for viewers in the United States. Streamers can catch the action on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Fans can also stream the event on Fubo. Fubo carries the ESPN family of networks, so hockey fans tuning in to the main broadcast can use the streaming service.
Canadian viewers can watch the draft lottery on Sportsnet, or on TVA Sports for the French-speaking audience. SN NOW will have a stream of the event.
How many draws are there at the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery?
The 2023 draft lottery has two draws:
- Draw 1: To determine who will select first overall
- Draw 2: To determine who will select second overall
Under the new lottery rules, only 11 teams have a shot at the No. 1 pick, because a club cannot climb more than 10 spots in the order. The same math applies to the No. 2 drawing, so only 12 teams have a chance at that selection.
After the two drawings, the rest of the order is determined by where each team finished in the standings.
When is the 2023 NHL Draft?
- Day 1 date: Wednesday, June 28
- Day 2 date: Thursday, June 29
The 2023 NHL Draft will span two days. The first round will take place Wednesday, June 28, with representatives from all 32 teams in Nashville.
On Thursday, June 29, the picks in Rounds 2-7 will be made.
Complete list of No. 1 overall picks in NHL history
No team has had more No. 1 overall picks than the Canadiens. Picking first isn't always easy and many teams have failed to identify the best player in the draft while picking first.
Here's a list of every No. 1 overall pick in NHL Draft history.
