New NHL draft lottery allows 14 teams to get No. 1 pick

NHL draft lottery scheduled for April 29

Author: By The Sports Xchange
Published On: Mar 04 2013 05:22:46 PM CST   Updated On: Mar 05 2013 07:28:47 AM CST
Hockey puck

The NHL has adopted a draft lottery system that will allow any team that does not make the playoffs to land the No. 1 overall draft pick.

The first such NHL draft lottery will be held April 29.

In the past, only the five teams with the fewest points in the standings had the opportunity to win the first overall selection, because rules dictated that a team could move up no more than four spots in the lottery.

Now the 14 clubs that do not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, or the clubs that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams, will participate in the lottery.

The lottery is weighted so the team with the worst record has the best chance of landing the No. 1 pick.

The team with the worst record has a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick and the percentage decrease until the non-playoff team with the best record has just a 0.5 percent chance of getting that top pick.

Teams can move down no more than one place in the draft order.

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