# June 28 in Hockey History
June 28 has emerged as a significant date in NHL history, dominated almost entirely by the selection of franchise-altering talent during the annual Entry Draft. The date has witnessed three decades of first-overall picks and the introduction of generational prospects who would shape their respective organizations' competitive windows.
The most striking pattern across June 28 NHL history is the concentration of top-tier draft selections on this specific date. The date has produced three consensus first-overall picks across three separate decades, each representing the highest-regarded prospect available at their respective drafts.
In 1994, Ed Jovanovski was selected first overall by the expansion Florida Panthers from the Windsor Spitfires. Jovanovski represented the inaugural first-overall pick in Panthers franchise history, marking a pivotal moment for a franchise entering the NHL. That same year, Oleg Tverdovsky went second overall to the Anaheim Ducks from Krylja Sovetov, while Radek Bonk was selected third overall by the Ottawa Senators from the Las Vegas Thunder.
Three decades later, the date's significance in prospect selection remained evident. Connor Bedard was drafted first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks on June 28, 2023, selected from Regina. Bedard's selection represented one of the most anticipated prospects in recent draft cycles. The Blackhawks continued their pattern of addressing organizational needs on this date in 2024, selecting Artyom Levshunov second overall from Michigan State University.
The most recent June 28 drafts underscore the date's consistent importance in franchise building. In 2023, following Bedard's selection, the Anaheim Ducks selected Leo Carlsson second overall from Orebro, while the Columbus Blue Jackets chose Adam Fantilli third overall from Michigan. Montréal closed the top-five selections with David Reinbacher at fifth overall from Kloten.
The 2024 draft continued this tradition with comparable intensity. Macklin Celebrini went first overall to the San Jose Sharks from Boston University. Beyond the marquee selections, June 28, 2024 saw Cayden Lindstrom selected fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets from Medicine Hat, and Ivan Demidov chosen fifth overall by Montréal from SKA Saint Petersburg Jr., representing the continued international talent pool in modern NHL drafting.
The concentration of premium draft capital on June 28 reflects the date's positioning within the annual draft calendar. Teams selecting in the opening round on this date have prioritized addressing core roster needs with the highest-regarded available talent, whether addressing forward depth, defensive requirements, or long-term organizational flexibility.
The Ducks and Blue Jackets appear with particular frequency on this date, combining for four top-five selections across the 2023-2024 cycles alone. Similarly, Montréal has utilized the date twice in consecutive years for fifth-overall selections, suggesting consistent positioning in the upper portion of draft orders during this recent period.
| 2021 | MTL@TBL | 1-5 | → |
