Canadiens will pick first in 2022 NHL Draft after winning Lottery
The Montreal Canadiens will have the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft for the first time in 42 years.
The Canadiens won the NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday, giving them the rights to the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft and the option to select consensus top pick Shane Wright of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.
Montreal, who will host the 2022 draft at Bell Centre, hasn’t picked No. 1 since selecting Doug Wickenheiser with the first overall pick in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. The Canadiens had an 18.5% chance of winning the first overall pick.
The New Jersey Devils won the second lottery draw to get the No. 2 pick.
Wright is No. 1 in FCHockey’s Spring ranking for the 2022 draft. He scored 32 goals and 94 points in 63 games with Kingston this season.
The draft will be held at Bell Centre on July 8 and 9.
It will be the first time the host team has the No. 1 pick in the draft since the Toronto Maple Leafs picked Wendell Clarke in 1985 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Here is the draft order:
1. Montreal Canadiens
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Arizona Coyotes
4. Seattle Kraken
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. Columbus Blue Jackets (via Chicago Blackhawks)
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Detroit Red Wings
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Anaheim Ducks
11. San Jose Sharks
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
13. New York Islanders
14. Winnipeg Jets
15. Vancouver Canucks
16. Buffalo Sabres (via Vegas Golden Knights)