Pick-by-pick notes for all 32 players selected in Round 1 of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft are available in Live Updates, with additional notes below.
RECORD-SETTING ROUND FOR SLOVAKIA
* Juraj Slafkovsky (Kosice, Slovakia) became the highest-drafted Slovakian player in NHL history and the 10th player born outside North America to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft.
* Simon Nemec (Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia) followed Juraj Slafkovsky as they became the second pair of countrymen born outside North America to go first and second overall in the same draft (following the Russian duo of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in 2004). Prior to Slafkovsky and Nemec, the highest-selected Slovakian player was Marian Gaborik (No. 3 in 2000).
* Filip Mesar (Spisska Bela, Slovakia) was picked 26th overall by the Canadiens, marking the first time at least three Slovakian-born players were selected in Round 1 of the NHL Draft.
* This marks the first NHL Draft where three Slovakian-born players were selected in Round 1. The highest such total prior to Thursday was two in 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2005.
IT’S A GLOBAL GAME
* Seventeen players selected Thursday were born outside North America, the most ever in Round 1 of the NHL Draft. The previous high was 16 in 2000.
* A breakdown of the first-round picks by birth country: Canada (9), United States (6), Sweden (5), Russia (3), Slovakia (3), Czechia (2), Finland (2), Austria (1) and Switzerland (1).
USA HOCKEY’S NTDP WELL REPRESENTED IN ROUND 1
* For a fourth consecutive year, at least one member ofUSA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s Under-18 Team was selected among the top five picks (Logan Cooley: No. 3, ARI; Cutter Gauthier: No. 5, PHI). That is the longest such stretch by any team in NHL Draft history.
* Overall, six players from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s Under-18 team were picked Thursday – the second-most chosen in Round 1 in club history (8 in 2019).
* Since 2019 when Jack Hughes went first overall, a total of 18 players from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program have been selected in Round 1, by far the most of any amateur club in that span (many clubs have three).
* First-round picks by amateur league: NTDP (6), WHL (6), Finland (3), Sweden (3), Sweden Jr. (3), Czechia (2), OHL (2), QMJHL (2), Slovakia (2), Russia (1), Russia-2 (1) and HIGH-MN (1).
MORE NOTES FROM ROUND 1
* Much like a Canadiens home game, the Bell Centre was packed with a boisterous crowd for Round 1. The opening ceremony began with a moment of silence for Bryan Marchment and continued with speeches from the son and daughter of two Montreal legends who died earlier this year. Martin Lafleur, son of Canadiens icon and 1971 No. 1 pick Guy Lafleur, and Tanya Bossy, daughter of Montreal-born and Islanders great Mike Bossy, each delivered a speech in memory of their father. Plus, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis got a roaring ovation at his first-ever NHL Draft.
* Before the draft, BioSteel was named the official hydration partner of the NHL and NHLPA.
* Five general managers selected in the NHL Draft for the first time: Kent Hughes (MTL) chose Juraj Slafkovsky at No. 1, Kyle Davidson (CHI) chose Kevin Korchinski at No. 7 (after trading for the pick earlier in the day), Mike Grier (SJS) chose Filip Bystedt at No. 27 (two days after being named the first Black GM in NHL history), Patrik Allvin (VAN) chose Jonathan Lekkerimaki at No. 15 and Pat Verbeek (ANA) chose Pavel Mintyukov at No. 10.
TRADES MADE JULY 7, 2022
* The Avalanche acquired goaltender Alexandar Georgiev from the Rangers in exchange for a third-round pick and fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in 2023 NHL Draft.
* The Senators acquired forward Alex DeBrincat from the Blackhawks in exchange for the No. 7 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, a second-round pick in 2022 (No. 39) and third-round pick in 2024.
* The Islanders acquired defenseman Alexander Romanov and a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Canadiens in exchange for the No. 13 pick in 2022 NHL Draft.
* The Canadiens acquired forward Kirby Dach from the Blackhawks in exchange for the No. 13 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in 2022.
* The Coyotes acquired the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Sharks in exchange for the No. 27 pick in 2022 and two second-round picks in 2022 NHL Draft.
* TheBlackhawks acquired goaltender Petr Mrazek and the No. 25 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from the Maple Leafs in exchange for a second-round pick in 2022.
* The Coyotes acquired forward Zack Kassian, the No. 29 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Oilers in exchange for the No. 32 pick in 2022.
