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NHL Draft Lottery to be held live for fans, for the first time in 30 years

For the first time in its 30-year history, the NHL Draft Lottery will be broadcast live, allowing fans to witness the selection order of the top 16 teams. Scheduled for May 5th at 7 pm ET, the event will be broadcast on ESPN, Sportsnet, and TVAS. President of Content & Events of NHL, Steve Mayer, shares details about the event.
NHL Draft Lottery to be held live for fans, for the first time in 30 years
NHL Draft to be held live for audience
In the 30-year history of the NHL, it is for the first time that fans can tune in to watch the NHL Draft Lottery, which will be on a live broadcast. The NHL fandom can watch the order of the top 16 teams in the draft, the live event will be instrumental in deciding the No. 1 pick in the draft.
NHL Draft Lottery to be held on Live TV, Steve Mayer shares details

This year, the NHL Draft Lottery has decided to go one step further and introduce the much-anticipated event on live television. Fans can now watch the NHL Draft on 5th May, at 7 pm ET on ESPN, Sportsnet, TVAS and live stream. The event will be held in the NHL Network's Studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.
Speaking about the headliner event, the NHL President of Content & Events, Steve Mayer, said, "There will be anticipation like you've never seen in a draft lottery, and I truly believe we're the first ones in any league to try this. We're always looking to be innovative -- and not innovative for the sake of doing it. We've really thought this through and think it's going to be really compelling for our fans."
While elaborating on the format of the draft, Mayer shared, "We go from 16 to 1. We build the drama. Who's it going to be?" He further added, "It's so nerve-wracking as one ball comes out after the other. There are these sheets of paper with every combination possible, and the team associated with every combination. There are 1,000 combinations. Along with everybody else in the room, you're quickly trying to look up who has a chance. He continued, "And going into the final ball, you're able to locate who has that chance, and you wait with such anticipation for that last ball to come out. And that's the moment. There's a hush."
Building up the tension, Mayer shared, "There is some risk that if we draw the same team as we drew the first time, we have a redraw. These are the things that we anticipate, we get, and we'll leave time for. We'll live and learn a little bit." He also added, "But at the same time, we do think that this is going to be really cool, and everything we do is with our fans in mind and just giving them something a bit more compelling. We're not afraid to try things, and in this case, we just think that people will like it."
Also Read: NHL draft lottery 2025, date, odds and key details
For the event, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will preside over the draw, which will be overseen by Ernst & Young. The NHL Deputy Commissioner, Bill Daly, will be revealing the order of selection.
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