NHL to commemorate anniversary of NHL Draft with '60 Diamonds' series

NEW YORK -- The National Hockey League will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first NHL Draft in 1963 with a new series counting down the top 60 NHL Draft picks of all time, as voted on by NHL.com staff writers and editors.

The series, 60 Diamonds - The Greatest Picks of the 60 NHL Drafts, premieres Sunday, May 28 on NHL.com and includes an article and video segment each week featuring a panel of hockey writers discussing the most influential draft picks in NHL history. The five-week series will conclude with a half-hour show premiering on NHL Network on Saturday, June 24, at 7 p.m. ET and re-airing that night at 10:30 p.m. ET. Produced by NHL Productions, the finale special with host Kathryn Tappen will count down the top 20 picks and reveal the writers' choice for the number one NHL Draft pick of the past 60 years.

Sunday, May 28: Article & Mini-Segment 1 on NHL.com

A roundtable panel of hockey writers hosted by NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor Adam Kimelman will provide the selection criteria and reveal the 10 players ranked #60-#51 on the list of the top 60 NHL Draft picks of all time, as voted by NHL.com staff writers and editors.

Sunday, June 4: Article & Mini-Segment 2 on NHL.com

The panel will reveal the next 10 players ranked #50-#41 on the top 60 NHL Draft picks list. The writers discuss former Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne and the statue unveiled in his honor at Bridgestone Arena this past March.

Sunday, June 11: Article & Mini-Segment 3 on NHL.com

The panel will reveal the next 10 players voted #40-#31 on the top 60 NHL Draft picks list. NHL legend Bryan Trottier joins as a special guest to discuss being drafted by the New York Islanders in 1974.

Sunday, June 18: Article & Mini-Segment 4 on NHL.com

The panel will reveal the next 10 players voted #30-#21 on the top 60 NHL Draft picks list. Former General Manager of the Washington Capitals George McPhee joins to discuss the impact of drafting Alex Ovechkin first overall in the 2004 NHL Draft.

Saturday, June 24: Half-Hour Special on NHL Network

Hosted by Kathryn Tappen, the finale show will count down the players voted to the top 20 spots on the top 60 NHL Draft picks list. A roundtable panel will dive deeper into select players on the list before revealing their vote for number one NHL Draft pick of all time.

60 Diamonds - The Greatest Picks of the 60 NHL Drafts is executive produced by NHL Chief Content Officer and Senior Executive Vice President Steve Mayer, produced by Ray Jacobs and directed by Matt Celli. The series leads up to the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, June 28-29. Round 1 on June 28 will air on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports at 7 p.m. ET. Rounds 2-7 on June 29 will air on NHL Network, Sportsnet and TVA Sports at 11 a.m. ET. Tickets to the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft are available for purchase here.