Order of Selection for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft

The National Hockey League has announced the current order of selection for the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft at KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will take place over two days: Round 1 will be held on Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Rounds 2-7 on Saturday, June 27 at 11 a.m. ET.

Round 1

1. Toronto
2. San Jose
3. Vancouver
4. Chicago
5. NY Rangers
6. Calgary
7. Seattle
8. Winnipeg
9. Florida
10. Nashville
11. St. Louis
12. New Jersey
13. NY Islanders
14. Columbus
15. St. Louis (from DET)
16. Washington
17. Los Angeles
18. Washington (from ANA)
19. Utah
20. Buffalo (from EDM via SJS)
21. Philadelphia
22. Pittsburgh
23. Boston
24. Vancouver (from MIN)
25. Seattle (from TBL)
26. NY Rangers (from DAL via CAR)
27. San Jose (from BUF)
28. Montreal
29. St. Louis (from COL via NYI)
30. Calgary (from VGK)
31. Carolina
32. Ottawa

Round 2

33. Vancouver
34. Chicago
35. Calgary (from NYR via UTA)
36. Calgary
37. Chicago (from TOR)
38. Seattle
39. Pittsburgh (from WPG)
40. Florida
41. Vancouver (from SJS)
42. Nashville
43. Columbus (from STL via PIT)
44. New Jersey
45. Chicago (from NYI)
46. Los Angeles (from CBJ via MTL)
47. Detroit
48. Florida (from WSH)
49. Los Angeles
50. Anaheim
51. Calgary (from UTA)
52. Edmonton
53. Philadelphia
54. Pittsburgh
55. Calgary (from OTT via UTA)
56. Boston
57. Nashville (from MIN)
58. Tampa Bay
59. Dallas
60. Toronto (from BUF via OTT and LAK)
61. Montreal
62. San Jose (from COL)
63. Forfeited pick
64. NY Rangers (from CAR)

Pick 63 – On May 15, 2026, the NHL announced the Vegas Golden Knights will forfeit a 2nd-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft for flagrant violations of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs Media Regulations.

Round 3

65. Calgary (from VAN)
66. Chicago
67. NY Rangers
68. Calgary
69. Toronto
70. Nashville (from SEA via DAL)
71. Winnipeg
72. Ottawa (from FLA)
73. St. Louis (from SJS via PIT and DET)
74. Colorado (from NSH)
75. St. Louis
76. St. Louis (from NJD via NYI)
77. NY Rangers (from NYI)
78. Vancouver (from CBJ)
79. Detroit
80. Los Angeles (from WSH via OTT)
81. NY Rangers (from LAK)
82. Anaheim
83. Utah
84. Edmonton
85. Toronto (from PHI)
86. Pittsburgh
87. Ottawa
88. Boston
89. Minnesota
90. Tampa Bay
91. Ottawa (from DAL via CAR and LAK)
92. NY Rangers (from BUF)
93. Montreal
94. Columbus (from COL via MIN)
95. Vegas
96. Utah (from CAR)

Round 4

97. Vancouver
98. Florida (from CHI)
99. Seattle (from NYR via CBJ)
100. Calgary
101. Columbus (from TOR via MIN)
102. Seattle
103. Montreal (from WPG via NJD)
104. Boston (from FLA via SJS)
105. Carolina (from SJS)
106. Nashville
107. St. Louis
108. New Jersey
109. NY Islanders
110. Ottawa (from CBJ via DET)
111. Boston (from DET via ANA)
112. Washington
113. Los Angeles
114. Toronto (from ANA via SEA)
115. Utah
116. Winnipeg (from EDM via BOS and BUF)
117. Anaheim (from PHI)
118. Nashville (from PIT)
119. Chicago (from OTT)
120. San Jose (from BOS)
121. Minnesota
122. Boston (from TBL)
123. St. Louis (from DAL via NJD)
124. Buffalo
125. Montreal
126. Colorado
127. San Jose (from VGK via WSH)
128. Colorado (from CAR)

Round 5

129. Vancouver
130. Utah (from CHI)
131. NY Rangers
132. Calgary
133. Toronto
134. Tampa Bay (from SEA)
135. Winnipeg
136. Florida
137. Minnesota (from SJS)
138. Nashville
139. St. Louis
140. New Jersey
141. NY Islanders
142. Columbus
143. Detroit
144. Washington
145. Los Angeles
146. Anaheim
147. Utah
148. Nashville (from EDM)
149. Colorado (from PHI)
150. St. Louis (from PIT)
151. Ottawa
152. Colorado (from BOS)
153. Minnesota
154. Tampa Bay
155. Dallas
156. Buffalo
157. Boston (from MTL via SJS)
158. Toronto (from COL)
159. Vegas
160. Nashville (from CAR)

Round 6

161. Vancouver
162. NY Rangers (from CHI via BUF)
163. NY Rangers
164. Calgary
165. Carolina (from TOR)
166. Seattle
167. Winnipeg
168. Florida
169. Toronto (from SJS)
170. Pittsburgh (from NSH)
171. St. Louis
172. New Jersey
173. NY Islanders
174. San Jose (from CBJ via PHI)
175. Detroit
176. Vancouver (from WSH)
177. Los Angeles
178. Anaheim
179. Nashville (from UTA)
180. Edmonton
181. Philadelphia
182. Columbus (from PIT)
183. Ottawa
184. Vancouver (from BOS via MIN)
185. Minnesota
186. Tampa Bay
187. Dallas
188. Buffalo
189. Montreal
190. Los Angeles (from COL via OTT)
191. Vegas
192. Carolina

Round 7

193. NY Rangers (from VAN)
194. Chicago
195. Colorado (from NYR via NSH)
196. Detroit (from CGY)
197. Dallas (from TOR)
198. Seattle
199. Winnipeg
200. Chicago (from FLA)
201. San Jose
202. Nashville
203. St. Louis
204. Seattle (from NJD)
205. NY Islanders
206. Columbus
207. Detroit
208. Washington
209. Los Angeles
210. Anaheim
211. Utah
212. Edmonton
213. Philadelphia
214. Colorado (from PIT)
215. Colorado (from OTT)
216. Boston
217. Florida (from MIN)
218. Tampa Bay
219. Dallas
220. Winnipeg (from BUF)
221. Montreal
222. Colorado
223. Vegas
224. Montreal (from CAR)

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NHL Statement on Mike Babcock

The National Hockey League today released the following statement regarding its investigation of Mike Babcock:

“The League has completed its review of Mike Babcock’s tenure in Columbus, and of certain alleged conduct associated therewith. Our investigation has concluded that, even in a light least favorable to Mr. Babcock, there is no current basis to restrict his employment in the League.”

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PWHL COMPLETES 2026 DRAFT

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) welcomed 72 new players Wednesday during the 2026 PWHL Draft. The fourth annual draft took place at the Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI, with prospects, special guests, and fans in attendance.

​Caroline “KK” Harvey was selected first overall by the Vancouver Goldeneyes, who had earned the top pick based on finishing in first place in the ‘Gold Plan’ standings. The 23-year-old defender from Salem, NH, finished her NCAA career as the 2025-26 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award recipient and a three-time National Champion with the University of Wisconsin Badgers. She also won Olympic gold with Team USA, contributing a tournament-high-tying nine points (2G, 7A), and was named Tournament MVP, and earlier in the day was named the 2026 IIHF Female Player of the Year.

DRAFT NOTES:

• Harvey was the first defender to be selected first overall in a PWHL Entry Draft.
• Abbey Murphy (University of Minnesota) was the first forward to be selected, going second overall to the Seattle Torrent.
• PWHL Las Vegas was the only team with two first-round picks, selecting forward Tessa Janecke (Penn State) third overall (via PWHL Detroit), and forward Lacey Eden (University of Wisconsin) fifth overall, and led the draft with eight picks in total.
• PWHL San Jose used its first-ever pick to select forward Laila Edwards (University of Wisconsin) fourth overall.
• PWHL Hamilton selected defender Nelli Laitinen (University of Minnesota) with its first-ever pick, making the Finnish rearguard the first international player chosen at sixth overall.
• PWHL Detroit used its first-ever pick to select Switzerland’s Andrea Brändli (Frölunda HC), making her the first goaltender chosen at 15th overall.
• Three Michiganders were selected in front of the hometown crowd, including forward Kirsten Simms (Plymouth) at eighth overall to the Toronto Sceptres, defender Casey Borgiel (Port Huron) at 22nd overall to Detroit, and forward Elyssa Biederman (Franklin) at 30th overall to Hamilton.
• The first Canadian selected in the draft was defender Sara Swiderski (Ohio State University) of Langley, BC, going ninth overall to the Minnesota Frost.
• The 72 players selected in the six-round process include 42 forwards, 22 defenders, and eight goaltenders.
• Per hometowns, the draft class is represented across eight different countries: United States (31), Canada (30), Finland (4), Switzerland (2), Sweden (2), Czechia (1), Denmark (1), and Russia (1).
• 14 players competed in the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan, representing five countries: Americans Edwards, Harvey, Janecke, Murphy, and Simms; Finland’s Laitinen, Elisa Holopainen, Petra Nieminen, and Viivi Vainikka; Sweden’s Josefin Bouveng and Thea Johansson; Switzerland’s Brändli and Saskia Maurer; Italy’s Gabriella Durante.
• A total of 59 players were selected from NCAA programs, 11 from professional teams, and two from U SPORTS.
• The 59 NCAA players represent 19 programs: Penn State (7), Cornell (5), Ohio State (5), Minnesota (5), Wisconsin (5), Northeastern (4), Minnesota-Duluth (4), Yale (4), Colgate (3), Princeton (3), University of Connecticut (3), Boston University (2), Clarkson (2), Quinnipiac (2), Brown (1), Minnesota State (1), Providence College (1), St. Cloud State (1), and St. Lawrence University (1).
• The 10 professional players represent three leagues: SDHL (8), SWHL (1), and ZhHL (1).
• The two U SPORTS players represent Concordia University and the University of British Columbia.
• A total of 235 eligible players declared for the draft, representing the largest talent pool of prospective players since the inaugural season.

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Celebrate Father’s Day Weekend with Free Fishing

This Father’s Day weekend, Ontario is inviting families to reel in some fun and enjoy the outdoors together for free. On June 20 and 21, Canadian residents can fish in Ontario without purchasing a licence or Outdoors Card.

“Some of the best memories are made out on the water,” said Mike Harris, Minister of Natural Resources. “Father’s Day weekend is a great chance to cast a line for the first time, or rediscover the joy of it, while getting out to enjoy Ontario’s beautiful outdoors.”

Recreational fishing is a key part of Ontario’s economy, supporting local tourism and jobs in communities across the province. Free fishing opportunities like Father’s Day weekend provide a chance for people to learn more about fishing on Ontario’s lakes and rivers.

If you are fishing for free during the Father’s Day weekend, all conservation licence catch and size limits, fishing sanctuaries and other fishing regulations still apply.

Quick Facts

• This weekend marks the third of four free-fishing periods in Ontario this year. The remaining dates are during Family Fishing Week (June 27–July 5).
• For beginners, Ontario offers loans of rods and reels for free through the TackleShare program, in‑person Learn to Fish programs as well as an online Learn to Fish Guide to help new anglers get started.
• 1.16 million anglers spend $2.4 billion per year on recreational fishing in Ontario.
• Canadian residents participating in free fishing periods must carry identification issued by the provincial or federal government, showing their name and date of birth.
• Outside of free fishing periods, most people between the ages of 18 and 64 must have an Outdoors Card and a licence to fish. All veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces members residing in Ontario can enjoy free recreational fishing in the province, whenever and wherever fishing is allowed.
• Ontario fishing licences can be purchased online at HuntAndFishOntario.com. If buying online, always look for the Ontario logo. Licences can also be purchased in person at participating ServiceOntario or authorized licence issuer locations.

The post Celebrate Father’s Day Weekend with Free Fishing appeared first on In Play! magazine.

MAPLE LEAFS NAME JIM HILLER 41st HEAD COACH IN FRANCHISE HISTORY

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Jim Hiller has been hired as the hockey club’s head coach.

“Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today’s NHL,” said General Manager John Chayka. “He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench. We believe he’s the right person to lead our team and help us reach our goals.”

“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs,” said Hiller. “This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I’m looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential.”

Hiller, 57, becomes the 41st head coach in franchise history since the team’s founding in 1917. He joins Toronto after serving as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings from 2023-24 through 2025-26. Hiller compiled a combined 93-58-24 record and a .600 win percentage in 175 games with Los Angeles. Prior to becoming head coach of the Kings, Hiller spent two seasons as an assistant coach in Los Angeles from 2022-23 to 2023-24.

Before joining the Kings, Hiller served as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders from 2019-20 to 2021-22 and the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2015-16 to 2018-19. During his four seasons in Toronto, the Maple Leafs qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs on three occasions.

Prior to joining the NHL ranks, Hiller spent 11 seasons coaching junior hockey in Canada between the Western Hockey League and British Columbia Hockey League. During a five-year stint with the Tri-City Americans from 2009-10 to 2013-14, Hiller led the club to two division titles and five consecutive playoff appearances. He was named the Canadian Hockey League Coach of the Year and Western Hockey League Coach of the Year in 2011-12 after guiding Tri-City to a 50-18-2-2 record and 104-point season.

A native of Port Alberni, British Columbia, Hiller served as an assistant coach for Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, helping the club capture a gold medal. Hiller was originally selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the 10th round (207th overall) of the 1989 NHL Draft and appeared in 63 career NHL games with Los Angeles, recording 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists).

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