By Basil Stroh
NHL Public Relations
Two-Part Behind-the-Scenes Series Returns June 24 Ahead of Draft Day
NEW YORK (June 23, 2025) – The Sports Emmy Award-winning Welcome to the NHL presented by BODYARMOR Sports Drink, produced by NHL Productions, returns with exclusive access to the top prospects leading up to the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft™ at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The first episode will premiere on Tuesday, June 24, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in the U.S. and Sportsnet 360 in Canada. It will also air on NHL Network, NHL social channels and the NHL’s YouTube channel. View the trailer here.
Episode one in the series, titled “Meet the Prospects,” follows top prospects Matthew Schaefer, James Hagens, Michael Misa and Porter Martone in their hometowns as the NHL hopefuls prepare for Draft day and reflect on their hockey and personal journeys. Cameras go behind-the-scenes at the NHL Scouting Combine – the ultimate test of fitness and endurance – where prospects William Moore and Kashawn Aitcheson display their grit and unique personalities. The episode also goes behind closed doors with team executives at the NHL Draft Lottery and beyond as they strategize for Draft day.
Exclusive excerpts from “Meet the Prospects” are available on the NHL’s X channel. The show is executive produced by Steve Mayer, Craig Axelrod and Anthony Marchegiano. Air dates and times for Episode 1 are listed below.
Welcome to the NHL Episode 1 “Meet the Prospects” Air Dates & Times
|
Network |
Air Date/Time (All Times ET) |
|
ESPN2 |
June 24, 8 p.m. June 26, 7 p.m. |
|
SN360 |
June 24, 8 p.m. June 26, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 27, 2 p.m. |
|
SN |
June 25, 12 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 27, 5:30 p.m. |
|
SN1 |
June 25, 6 p.m. |
|
NHL Network |
June 27, 4 p.m. |
A second episode titled “Class of 2025” will premiere in September and will feature exclusive access to the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft when dreams are realized, as well as the fierce competition of development and training camps.
The 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater will be held over two days: Friday, June 27, at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET (Round 1, live on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVA Sports) and Saturday, June 28, at 9 a.m. PT / noon ET (Rounds 2-7, live on NHL Network, ESPN+, Sportsnet and SN1). Limited tickets to the event are available for purchase at www.axs.com/series/27389/nhl-draft-tickets.
Fans can tune in to the podcast “NHL Draft Class” for in-depth coverage of the top prospects, or follow the conversation via the official hashtag #NHLDraft.
COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS
