'Welcome to the NHL' to return ahead of 2026 draft

NEW YORK – Welcome to the NHL presented by BODYARMOR Sports Drink returns with exclusive access to the top prospects leading up to the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft™ at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The special will premiere on Monday, June 22, at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in the U.S. and at 8 p.m. ET on Sportsnet 360 in Canada. It will also air on NHL Network, NHL social channels and the NHL’s YouTube channel. View the trailer here.

The special follows top prospects Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, Chase Reid and Caleb Malhotra in their hometowns as the NHL hopefuls prepare for Draft day and share their personal stories alongside their families. Cameras go behind-the-scenes at the NHL Scouting Combine where prospects Jaxon Cover, Wyatt Cullen, son of three-time Stanley Cup Champion Matt Cullen, and twins Markus and Liam Ruck endure the ultimate test of physical fitness. The episode also goes behind closed doors with team general managers and scouts, including a first look at the new Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka.

Five digital shorts featuring McKenna, Stenberg, Verhoeff, Reid and Malhotra will be available on the NHL’s YouTube channel on June 22.  NHL social channels will feature exclusive content from the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft, where dreams are realized. Fans can tune in to the podcast “NHL Draft Class” for in-depth coverage of the top prospects, or follow the conversation via the official hashtag #NHLDraft.

The NHL Draft returns to Buffalo for the first time in a decade with the Sabres set to host the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Friday, June 26 (Round 1: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) and Saturday, June 27 (Rounds 2-7: 11 a.m. ET on NHL Network, ESPN+, Sportsnet) at KeyBank Center. Limited tickets to the event are available for purchase here via Ticketmaster, the official ticketing partner of the NHL.

Last season’s “Welcome to the NHL: Meet the Prospects,” which followed 2025 top prospects including New York Islanders rookie and Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer and Philadelphia Flyers rookie Porter Martone ahead of Draft day, was nominated for a 2026 Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Edited Sports Special. The 2022 edition of “Welcome to the NHL,” which chronicled the top prospects in the NHL Draft in Montreal, earned a 2023 Sports Emmy Award for Edited Event Coverage. Welcome to the NHL is executive produced by Steve Mayer, Craig Axelrod and Tim O’Brien for NHL Productions, which recently earned a 2026 Sports Emmy Award for 4 Nations Face-Off: Unveiled.