Draft day has arrived.
Day 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft takes place on Friday, June 26, at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The night’s festivities can be watched on ESPN, with streaming available on Fubo and ESPN+.
As expected, the Toronto Maple Leafs selected Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick. Chesterfield native and Michigan State defenseman Chase Reid was expected to be drafted in the top 5, but fell to No. 7 overall to the Seattle Kraken.
The Detroit Red Wings do not have a first-round pick after trading their 2026 first-rounder to the St. Louis Blues as part of the Justin Faulk trade in March, but did acquire a 2026 fourth-round pick from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for prospect Amadeus Lombardi.
Watch the NHL Draft on Fubo
Day 2 of the draft, featuring Rounds 2-7, will take place on Saturday, starting at 11 a.m. ET (NHL Network).
We’ll have all the live updates and first-round picks from Day 1 of the draft right here.
2026 NHL Draft first round picks
2026 NHL Draft first round live updates
Ducks acquire 2 first-round picks for Mason McTavish
The St. Louis Blues used two of their four 2026 first-round picks to trade for Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish. The 23-year-old Swiss forward was selected at No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft and has recorded at least 40 points in each of the last four seasons in Anaheim.
In return, the Ducks will get the No. 15 and 29 picks from the Blues.
Wyatt Cullen selected at No. 10 overall to Predators
The Nashville Predators selected forward Wyatt Cullen with the No. 10 overall pick. Cullen, a native of Minnesota, is committed to playing for the Golden Gophers in the upcoming season.
Cullen is also related to former Detroit Red Wings Barry and Ray Cullen, who each played for Detroit for one season, Barry in 1959-60 and Ray in 1966-67.
Keaton Verhoeff drafted at No. 9 overall to Sharks
North Dakota defender Keaton Verhoeff was selected by the San Jose Sharks at No. 9 overall. The NoDak defender represented Canada at the World Juniors in 2026, notching four assists in five games.
Viggo Björck goes No. 8 overall to Jets
The Winnipeg Jets selected Swedish forward Viggo Björck. The forward represented Sweden’s senior team in 2026, becoming the youngest Swedish player in World Championship history.
Chase Reid falls to No. 7 overall to Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken selected Soo Greyhounds defender Chase Reid with the No. 7 overall pick. Reid, who many considered to be the top defender in the draft, fell to No. 7 after many draft experts expected him to be taken in the top-5.
Reid is a Chesterfield native and is committed to play for Michigan State hockey for the 2026-27 season.
Carsen Carels goes No. 6 overall to the Calgary Flames
Unsurprisingly, defender Carsen Carels was taken at No. 6 overall by the Calgary Flames. Carels, who will play for North Dakota in the upcoming season, is from Manitoba and represented Canada at the 2026 World Junior Championships.
Albert Smits goes No. 5 overall to New York Rangers
With Chase Reid still on the board, the New York Rangers went for a different defender, taking Latvian defender Albert Smits with the No. 5 overall pick.
Reid, who many considered to be the top defender in the draft, continues to fall.
Daxon Rudolph goes No. 4 overall to Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Daxon Rudolph with the No. 4 overall pick. It is the first surprise of the draft, with Rudolph rocketing up the draft board.
It’s also an upset for Soo Greyhounds defender Chase Reid, who many expected to be the first defenseman taken in the draft.
Caleb Malhotra goes No. 3 overall to Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks selected center Caleb Malhotra with the No. 3 overall pick. Malhotra is the son of Canucks coach Manny Malhotra and the nephew of two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash.
Malhotra is committed to play at Boston University for the upcoming season.
Pavel Dorofeyev traded to Rangers
Vegas Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev has been traded to the New York Rangers. The Knights get the No. 26 and 92 pick in this year’s draft, plus a top-10 protected 2028 first-round pick, in the return.
Dorofeyev, a sixth-year player, has played in all 82 games in back-to-back seasons with the Knights, leading Vegas with 37 goals in the 2025-26 season. He reportedly signed a 7-year extension with the Rangers valued at $11 million per season.
Ivar Stenberg goes No. 2 overall to Sharks
Winger Ivar Stenberg from Sweden’s Frölunda HC was taken at No. 2 overall by the San Jose Sharks. He won a gold medal with Sweden at the 2026 World Junior Championships, leading the team with 10 points, including a goal and two assists in the gold-medal game against Czechia.
Bruins trade No. 23 pick to Mammoth for JJ Peterka
The Boston Bruins acquired center JJ Peterka from the Utah Mammoth for the No. 23 overall pick in the 2026 draft and a first-round pick in 2028. A 2020 second-round pick to Buffalo, Peterka has put up at least 25 goals in each of the last three seasons, two with the Sabres and one with the Mammoth.
Gavin McKenna selected at No. 1 overall by Maple Leafs
To virtually no one’s surprise, the Maple Leafs selected Penn State forward Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. McKenna has been the consensus No. 1 prospect, and the Canadian forward now heads to Canada’s biggest market.
NHL Draft first round time
NHL Draft first round channel
Red Wings 2026 draft picks
Overall pick number in parentheses.
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You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NHL Draft first round TV channel, time, streaming and live updates
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
