The 2025 National Hockey League Draft commenced on June 27, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, spanning two days with Round 1 on Friday and Rounds 2-7 on Saturday. This year's draft introduced a new, decentralized format with teams working from their home markets, leading to some initial challenges and a prolonged first round that lasted over four hours. Virtual interactions between players and teams were noted as repetitive and uncomfortable, contrasting with the more organic exchanges of previous years.

The New York Islanders, holding the top selection spot due to a draft lottery victory, opened the proceedings by selecting defenseman Matthew Schaefer first overall. Despite missing the second half of his season due to a broken collarbone sustained at the 2025 World Junior Championship, Schaefer remained the consensus No. 1 pick, demonstrating remarkable character. His emotional moment on stage included kissing a purple cancer awareness ribbon on his jersey and pointing skyward, honoring his mother, Jennifer, who passed away from breast cancer in 2024. Schaefer is expected to have an excellent chance of opening the season with the Islanders.

Following Schaefer, Michael Misa, a noted scorer, went second overall to the San Jose Sharks, and the Chicago Blackhawks selected big Swedish forward Anton Frondell third. Caleb Desnoyers was picked fourth by the Utah Mammoth, while Brady Martin went fifth to the Nashville Predators. The Philadelphia Flyers chose right wing Porter Martone. The Boston Bruins, with their highest pick since 2011, selected Boston College center James Hagens seventh overall; Hagens was a point-per-game freshman and part of the U.S. gold medal-winning team at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship.

The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the draft with double-digit picks, seeking an infusion of young talent for first-year coach Dan Muse. They selected forward Benjamin Kindel with their first pick at No. 11. The 18-year-old, known for his playmaking ability, tallied 159 points over the last two seasons with the Calgary Hitmen. Pittsburgh then traded their 12th overall pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for picks No. 22 and No. 31 in the first round. The Flyers used the 12th pick to select center Jack Nesbitt. The Penguins’ remaining picks included selections from the Capitals, Wild, Senators, Blackhawks, and their own picks across various rounds.

The Islanders, in addition to Schaefer, significantly boosted their prospect pool. They traded 25-year-old defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the 16th and 17th picks, plus forward Emil Heineman. With these picks, the Islanders selected super-skilled Swedish winger Victor Eklund at No. 16 and hard-hitting two-way defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17. Dobson subsequently signed an eight-year, $76 million deal with the Canadiens.

One of the day's biggest surprises came when the Chicago Blackhawks traded up to select 6-foot-7 center Mason West at No. 29. West, a two-sport athlete, also plays quarterback and plans to play football in the fall, posing a risk for the Blackhawks given his commitment to hockey is contingent on his football success. Other notable picks included Justin Carbonneau going 19th overall to the St. Louis Blues and Lynden Lakovic, a strong two-way forward, selected 27th overall by the Washington Capitals.

The first round saw 21 of 32 picks come from the Canadian Hockey League, reflecting its strong development roots. Nine first-rounders each came from the OHL (including Schaefer and Michael Misa) and the WHL (led by Radim Mrtka). The QMJHL rebounded with three picks. Other players originated from Sweden, the NCAA, Russia, high school hockey, and the USHL. In terms of nationality, 20 Canadians were drafted, followed by six Americans, two Swedes, two Czechs, one Russian, and one Finn. Positionally, the first round included 14 centers, eight wingers, eight defensemen, and two goalies.

Beyond the draft, other significant NHL news emerged. The Florida Panthers signed Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett to an eight-year, $64 million contract extension. John Tavares re-signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a team-friendly four-year, $4.38 million average annual value deal. Additionally, the Colorado Avalanche traded forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets, creating salary cap space ahead of free agency. Day 2 of the 2025 NHL Draft, covering Rounds 2 through 7, was set to continue on Saturday.