2012 NHL Entry Draft



The 2012 NHL Entry Draft was the 50th NHL Entry Draft held June 22–23, 2012, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It was the first time that Pittsburgh hosted the draft since the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. The top three picks were Nail Yakupov, Ryan Murray and Alex Galchenyuk.

Eligibility
Ice hockey players born between January 1, 1992 and September 15, 1994, were eligible for selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Additionally, un-drafted, non-North American players over the age of 20 are eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 24, 1992 were also eligible to re-enter the draft.

Draft Lottery
The NHL draft lottery enables a team to move up to four spots ahead in the draft. Thus, only the bottom five teams were eligible to receive the number one draft pick.

Beginning with the 2013 NHL Entry Draft all fourteen teams not qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs will have a "weighted" chance at winning the first overall selection.

The Edmonton Oilers won the 2012 draft lottery that took place on April 10, 2012, thus moving them up from the second pick to the first pick.

Top Prospects
North American & European goaltenders