2025 NHL Draft: Carolina Hurricanes Set for Unique Selection Process

RALEIGH, NC. – The NHL‘s annual draft kicks off this weekend, starting with the first round on June 27 in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theatre. For the first time, the Carolina Hurricanes will participate in what is being termed a “decentralized” draft, making their selections remotely from Lenovo Headquarters in North Carolina.

Round 1 is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Eastern on Friday, followed by Rounds 2-7 on Saturday, June 28, starting at noon Eastern. Fans can watch the first round on ESPN and ESPN+, while NHL Network and ESPN+ will cover the later rounds.

The Hurricanes currently hold six picks: the 29th, 87th, 125th, 183rd, 189th, and 221st overall. Of these, four are their own selections, and two were acquired through trades. The last time Carolina picked in the first round was in 2023, when they selected Bradly Nadeau from the BCHL; he made his NHL debut less than a year later.

However, the Canes have seen some changes since last year. Their 2025 second-round pick was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, and they moved their third-round pick to the Washington Capitals before reacquiring a different third-round pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Eric Tulsky and his team also added a sixth-round pick this spring.

Eligible players for selection must be between 18 and 20 years old, or up to 21 years if they are not from North America. Many selected players will immediately arrive in North Carolina for the organization’s development camp, a crucial step in their NHL journey.

The New York Islanders will have the first overall selection following a luck of the draw on May 5. Fans can follow real-time updates on the draft through NHL’s live Draft Tracker on the Hurricanes’ official website.