Where is the NHL Draft in 2022? Location, city, tickets for Montreal and beyond

We are just over a week away from the 2022 NHL Draft, where more than 200 players will have their dreams come true, getting the call that they've been selected by an NHL team. 

And this season, the draft is back in person. After COVID caused the league to go virtual with the event in 2020 and 2021, the regular festivities are back. 

Players will be able to be surrounded by friends and family at the event, and walk up onto the big stage, where they will be handed their jersey and take the ceremonious picture. 

Here is what you need to know about the 2022 NHL Draft. 

MORE: When is the 2022 NHL Draft?

Where is the 2022 NHL Draft?

• Venue: Bell Centre
• City: Montreal  

The Bell Centre, the home of the Montreal Canadiens, will be the location of the 2022 NHL Draft. 

This is the first time since 2009 that Montreal will host the draft. In total, it is the 27th time the city has been the home of the annual event.

Montreal was supposed to host the draft in 2020, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic the event was held virtually for health and safety reasons. 

When is the 2022 NHL Draft ?

• Day 1 date: Thursday, July 7
• Day 1 start time: 7 p.m. ET
• Day 2 date: Friday, July 8
• Day 2 start time: 11 a.m. ET

The draft spans two days. On Thursday, July 7, the first round will take place, with representatives from all teams selecting with the first 32 picks in Montreal. That will begin at 7 p.m. ET. 

On Friday, July 8, the remaining picks in Rounds 2-7 will be selected. The day begins with the second round at 11 a.m. ET. 

MORE: Who is Shane Wright?

How to watch the 2022 NHL Draft

• U.S. TV channel: ESPN, NHL Network
• Canada TV channel: Sportsnet, TVA Sports
• U.S. stream: ESPN+
• Canada stream: SN NOW

The first round of the draft will be on ESPN for the American audience. The second day will be broadcast live on the NHL Network. You can stream both days on ESPN+. 

For the Canadian audience, both days of the draft will be on Sportsnet, as well as TVA Sports in French. 

NHL Draft 2022 tickets

Tickets for the NHL Draft can be purchased here. There are two-day passes available for both days, or single-day passes available for either Day 1 or Day 2. 

While the two-day passes and single-day for Day 1 have already sold out, additional tickets may become available leading up to draft day. 

Where will the 2023 NHL Draft be?

The location for next year's draft is not known yet. 

Who are the top prospects in the 2022 NHL Draft?

This year's class is expected to be a weaker one. But that doesn't mean there isn't loads of talent to be taken in the first round. 

Shane Wright has been the consensus No. 1 pick for a couple of seasons. The talented forward from the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs has recorded 143 points in 110 games so far as a member of the team. 

However, after Wright there is no clear-cut answer at No. 2 and beyond. There are a number of skilled players coming out of Slovakia, such as Juraj Slafkovsky and Simon Nemec, as well as Finland with Brad Lambert and Joakim Kemell. And, of course, the U.S. and Canada will have a plethora of representatives taken, with Logan Cooley and Matthew Savoie projected to be top-10 picks. 

MORE: Who is Logan Cooley?

Here is a look at the top-10 ranked players each from North American and Europe, according to NHL's Central Scouting. 

Which team has selected first overall in the past?

The draft was first created for the 1963 NHL season. This will be the 60th draft in the history of the NHL. 

The Canadiens have made the most No. 1 picks with five, and will make it six on July 7. The Ducks, Canucks, Wild, Hurricanes, Predators, Sharks, Flames and Kraken have never received the first pick in the draft. 

Here is a look at which teams got the No. 1 picks from the past 10 drafts and who they selected at first overall.