Live NHL Draft Lottery show in real time, ‘compelling,’ ‘super-exciting’

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- The NHL Draft Lottery has always seemed to carry the ingredients of the sport itself, from hope, chance and the belief that one moment could bend the future of a franchise.

The Toronto Maple Leafs gained that opportunity after winning the 2026 version at NHL Network studios on Tuesday.

It was a moment when the studio lights beamed and logos gleamed as they would for a Stanley Cup Playoff game. Fans were certainly gathered in living rooms throughout the world wearing sweaters of teams that finished far from the postseason but not far from belief.

There were draft parties throughout North America and executives representing 11 NHL clubs with the chance of winning the No. 1 pick.

And there was NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, hands clasped and that familiar grin signaling his comfort with the spectacle.

He gave credit for the idea of the live, real-time Draft Lottery to Steve Mayer, President of NHL Content & Events.

"He says, 'This is an exciting moment,' when we would do it in the room before (NHL Deputy Commissioner) Bill Daly would do the reveal. (Mayer) said, 'Let's do it live.' 

 "I gave him 10 reasons that we should be concerned, including what if the machine breaks. And he said, 'No, no we're going to be fine.' (Mayer) is the one who figured out how to make it an interesting and compelling show."

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery marked the second straight year the event was televised live.

There were eight rehearsals performed before it was time for the real-time televised event at 7 p.m. EST.

"The ninth time is the charm," Mayer said.

Instead of watching a countdown from 16 to 1 after the lottery balls have been drawn behind the scenes, fans were able to follow along and learn the results at the same time as participating teams.

"There's little tweaks that we could put on; we learned a few things from last year and we've made those adjustments," Mayer said. "Once we do this a few times, you heard from some fans last year, like, 'I didn't understand.' It was new. I feel like once we start doing this, fans will just completely understand it. It's really simple when you really boil it down. 

"We've put some things in with keeping graphics up the whole time that just make it easier for a fan to follow along and understand and I think the repetition of doing it year after year after year will make it super-exciting."

The Maple Leafs are the third team in the past six lottery events to win despite not having the best NHL Draft Lottery odds, along with the New York Islanders in 2025 (10th-best odds; defenseman Matthew Schaefer) and Chicago Blackhawks in 2023 (third-best odds; forward Connor Bedard).

Bettman has always understood that the lottery isn't just about numbers but about renewal. Every team that misses the playoffs carries a wound from a long season and the lottery offers a salve; a chance to add a franchise-altering player and a path back toward relevance.

How has the recent draft lottery changed how teams approach rebuilding compared to 10 years ago?

"I don't think it's changed," Bettman said. "The notion is teams that need the most help get it in the draft and there's no incentive to do anything but try to win because you can have the worst record in the League and you're not guaranteed the first pick or the second pick."

Bettman leaned into that narrative, framing the lottery not as consolation, but as ignition.

"What I enjoy most is the uncertainty," Bettman said. "You don't know what's going to happen until the ball pops up."