What time does the 2023 NHL Draft start today? Live TV coverage, schedule for Wednesday's Round 1

Dan Treacy

What time does the 2023 NHL Draft start today? Live TV coverage, schedule for Wednesday's Round 1 image

The buildup to the 2023 NHL Draft has been centered on phenom Connor Bedard, and for good reason. Bedard is considered a generational prospect, one who could instantly become the face of his NHL team.

Thanks to the NHL Draft Lottery, we know Bedard's likely destination: Chicago. The Blackhawks are expected to make him the No. 1 overall pick on Wednesday night. But, what comes next?

There is still a great crop of talent available, including Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson. The top half of the first round also features a few teams who are hoping this is their last lottery pick for the foreseeable future, and one way to speed up that timeline is by making the right pick in Nashville on Wednesday.

MORE: Watch the 2023 NHL Draft on Fubo: Sign up today!

Here's what you need to know about the 2023 NHL Draft, including start time, TV coverage, and draft order.

What time does the 2023 NHL Draft start today?

  • Date: Wednesday, June 28
  • Round 1 start time: 7 p.m. ET
  • TV channel (US): ESPN
  • TV channels (Canada): Sportsnet, TVA Sports
  • Live stream (US): ESPN app, ESPN+ Fubo 
  • Live stream (Canada): SN NOW

The NHL Draft will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with the first selection by the Blackhawks coming shortly after the start time.

ESPN will broadcast the first round in the United States, while Sportsnet will be showing the draft in Canada. TVA Sports will host the French broadcast in Canada.

What channel is the NHL Draft on today?

  • TV channel: ESPN
  • TV channels (Canada): SportsNet, TVA Sports

The first round of the NHL Draft will be broadcast on ESPN in the U.S. before shifting to NHL Network for Day 2. In Canada, viewers can watch the entire draft on SportsNet. TVA Sports will also broadcast the entirety of the draft in Canada for French-speaking viewers.

MORE: Connor Bedard, by the numbers

NHL Draft TV schedule

Round Day Date Start time (ET) TV channels
1 Wednesday June 28 7 p.m. ESPN (U.S.), SportsNet (Canada), TVA Sports (Canada)
2-7 Thursday June 29 11 a.m. NHL Network (U.S.), SportsNet (Canada), TVA Sports (Canada)

NHL Draft live stream

Cord cutters have a few different options to catch the first round NHL Draft. Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu+ Live TV, Sling TV and DIRECTV each have options for ESPN.

ESPN apps are also available on selecting gaming consoles and streaming devices, including Roku, FireTV and Apple TV.

Platform NHL Draft? Cable/satellite login needed?
Fubo Yes No
YouTube TV Yes No
Hulu + Live TV Yes No
Sling TV Yes No
DIRECTV STREAM Yes No
AT&T TV No
Xbox (ABC/ESPN Apps) Yes Yes
PS4 (ABC/ESPN Apps) Yes Yes
Amazon Fire TV (ABC/ESPN Apps) Yes Yes
Android TV (ABC/ESPN Apps) Yes Yes
Apple TV (ABC/ESPN Apps) Yes Yes
Roku (ABC/ESPN Apps) Yes Yes
Mobile devices/tablets (ABC/ESPN Apps) Yes Yes
Computers (ESPN.com/Watch, ABC.go.com) Yes Yes

MORE: NHL Draft Big Board 2023: Ranking the top 100 prospects

2023 NHL Draft order

The first 16 picks of the 2023 NHL Draft were finalized at the draft lottery in May, with the Blackhawks receiving the No. 1 overall pick. Selections outside the lottery were determined by the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Here's a complete look at the draft order for Wednesday night's first round.

Pick Team
No. 1 Chicago Blackhawks
No. 2 Anaheim Ducks
No. 3 Columbus Blue Jackets
No. 4 San Jose Sharks
No. 5 Montreal Canadiens
No. 6 Arizona Coyotes
No. 7 Philadelphia Flyers
No. 8 Washington Capitals
No. 9 Detroit Red Wings
No. 10 St. Louis Blues
No. 11 Vancouver Canucks
No. 12 Arizona Coyotes (from Ottawa Senators)
No. 13 Buffalo Sabres
No. 14 Pittsburgh Penguins
No. 15 Nashville Predators
No. 16 Calgary Flames
No. 17 Detroit Red Wings (from New York Islanders via Vancouver Canucks)
No. 18 Winnipeg Jets
No. 19 Chicago Blackhawks (from Tampa Bay Lightning)
No. 20 Seattle Kraken
No. 21 Minnesota Wild
No. 22 Philadelphia Flyers (from Los Angeles Kings via Columbus Blue Jackets) 
No. 23 New York Rangers
No. 24 Nashville Predators (from Edmonton Oilers)
No. 25 St. Louis Blues (from Toronto Maple Leafs)
No. 26 San Jose Sharks (from New Jersey Devils)
No. 27 Colorado Avalanche
No. 28 Toronto Maple Leafs (from Boston Bruins via Washington Capitals)
No. 29 St. Louis Blues (via Dallas Stars)
No. 30 Carolina Hurricanes
No. 31 Colorado Avalanche (from Florida Panthers via Montreal Canadiens)
No. 32 Vegas Golden Knights

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.