Springfield, Illinois – The 2023 North American Hockey League (NAHL) Entry Draft is set to get underway Wednesday, June 14! It’s one of the most exciting days of the year so we wanted to get you prepared for what to expect on Draft Day!
As the longest tenured franchise in the North American Hockey League, we’ve had a very long history of draft picks and some of our most notable picks include: 2022 Hobey Baker Award Winner and current Newfoundland Growlers (ECHL) goaltender Dryden McKay (2014); former Denver Pioneer and current Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) goaltender Devin Cooley (2016); and 2019 B1G Goaltender of the Year and current Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) goaltender Tommy Nappier.
One question we get each summer is, who is eligible for the NAHL Draft. Amateur players less than 21 years of age on December 31, 2023, who are not listed on an NAHL team roster or are listed on an NAHL roster but played less than (10) regular season and/or playoff games during the 2022-23 season and did not accept a tender from a team prior to the 2023 Entry Draft are eligible for selection.
The number of players each team can draft varies on the team’s current roster (protected list) minus the number 30. Each team’s roster is comprised of returning players and signed tenders. For example, if a team is at 16 veterans rostered and 6 tenders for 22 total, that team is allowed 8 draft picks.
The NAHL Entry Draft will start at 1pm CST and will broadcast live on HockeyTV and be done online at nahldraft.com.
