What It Was Like To Attend The Maple Leafs' Victory At The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery
SECAUCUS, N. J. - I really didn't know what to expect. With so much riding on the Toronto Maple Leafs and their 2026 first-round draft pick, The Hockey News sought permission for me to attend the NHL draft lottery.
And I have to say, the NHL is onto something.
You'd be forgiven if you didn't know the process going in. Although the NHL has used a lottery of some kind for a couple of decades, the format has evolved over the years.
Last year, the league decided to make a dramatic change. Rather than holding the lottery in a pre-recorded setting with a dramatic reveal to follow, they decided to conduct the draw live. As each table tennis ball was drawn, Studio 21 at NHL Network displayed the live odds changing in real time.
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Standing behind the cameras, I watched the process unfold, and it was exciting.
As the balls came up, the live odds changed in real-time. That element was necessary; otherwise, the live format just wouldn't work.
"We worked with SNT, which is the group that is the foundation behind Edge and player and puck tracking," Mayer said. "They came up with something where this is all interfaced and automatic. The odds change, and it's pretty incredible what they can do on the fly."
As each ball came out, the tension rose.
The Leafs started with one of the lowest chances at winning the lottery at 4.5 percent, but they jumped to a 9.1 percent chance after three balls were drawn (with only 11 balls remaining).
A collective gasp could be heard in the studio (including from me) as the Leafs were revealed to be the winner.
It really is an exciting format, and the NHL has found something special here.
It is encouraging to see that they are open to evolving the concept even further. Imagine hearing the roar of a fan base if this were held at a live venue.
While it could eventually become a live stadium show, for now, it is a television special that was definitely a must-see. It's transparent, it's dramatic for teams that didn't make the playoffs, and it's fun TV. In that way, everybody wins.
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This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 3:00 AM.