Canadiens win Draft Lottery, first overall pick

MONTREAL -- The Canadiens won the lottery for the first overall pick at the 2022 NHL Draft, which will be held at the Bell Centre on July 7 and 8.

Montreal had an 18.5 percent chance of winning Tuesday's lottery, the highest odds of the 16 participating teams that failed to make the playoffs.

New Jersey earned the second overall selection, while Arizona will pick third.
The Canadiens haven't picked first since 1980 when center Doug Wickenheiser was selected from the WHL's Regina Pats.
Previous first overall picks in franchise history include Guy Lafleur (1971), Réjean Houle (1969), Michel Plasse (1968) and Garry Monahan (1963).
"It's exciting for us as a management group, and it's certainly exciting for us as an organization. I remember the last time the Draft was in Montreal. It was a packed house. That isn't the case in every Draft location, so especially with us owning the first pick, I can only imagine the buildup of anticipation, excitement and interest in the Montreal Canadiens," said general manager Kent Hughes. "You hope as an organization that you don't pick number one overall too often, but when you're in that situation, it's pretty special."

Center Shane Wright from the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs and left-winger Juraj Slafkovsky from TPS in Finland are the top-ranked North American and International skaters, respectively, according to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.
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to view the final rankings for North American goalies.
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to view the final rankings for International skaters.
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to view the final rankings for International goalies.
Here is the complete order of the top 16 picks for the 2022 NHL Draft:
1. Montreal Canadiens
2. New Jersey Devils
3. Arizona Coyotes
4. Seattle Kraken
5. Philadelphia Flyers
6. Columbus Blue Jackets (from Chicago Blackhawks)
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Detroit Red Wings
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Anaheim Ducks
11. San Jose Sharks
12. Columbus Blue Jackets
13. New York Islanders
14. Winnipeg Jets
15. Vancouver Canucks
16. Buffalo Sabres (from Vegas Golden Knights)