- Round One from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. begins Friday at 7 p.m. ET
- The Point previews Round One at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+
- Coverage continues Saturday with Rounds 2-7 at 11 a.m. on ESPN+
The 2026 NHL Draft begins Friday, June 26, with Round One coverage from 7-10 p.m. ET on ESPN in the U.S., live from KeyBank Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The Point, ESPN’s hockey-focused studio show, will preview Round One and feature red carpet coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+. Draft coverage will also be available on the ESPN App.
In its fifth presentation of the NHL Draft, ESPN’s presentation of the first round will feature host John Buccigross with ESPN NHL analyst Kevin Weekes, ESPN insider Emily Kaplan, and Draft and hockey analytics expert Meghan Chayka from on site in Buffalo. ESPN reporter Leah Hextall and Sportsnet’s Ailish Forfar will interview prospects after they’ve been drafted.
Buccigross, Weekes, Kaplan and Chayka will also provide the pre-draft coverage, with Hextall interviewing top prospects on the red carpet.
Day two Draft coverage of Rounds 2-7 will begin on Saturday, June 27, at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN+ via NHL Network.
ESPN.com will have live coverage of the event, including real-time analysis from NHL reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton, Greg Wyshynski and others.
A full breakdown of 2026 NHL Draft Prospects is available here, including additional coverage from ESPN.com:
- Every NHL team’s top prospect pipeline need
- The NHL’s top offseason storylines
- Tuesday: Draft week buzz: Latest on prospects, trades, free agency and more
- Wednesday: Final Big Board for the 2026 NHL draft
- Thursday: 2026 NHL mock draft: Projecting the first 32 picks
- Friday: NHL draft tracker: Every player selected in 2026
- Saturday: Winners and losers of the 2026 NHL draft
- Saturday: NHL draft grades: Report cards for all 32 teams
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CONTACTS:
ESPN
Andrea DiCristoforo | [email protected] | 213-405-4612
ESPN+
[email protected]
