What is the name of the NHL's annual player draft?

The NHL’s annual player draft is called the NHL Entry Draft.

During the Entry Draft, NHL clubs take turns selecting the rights to eligible players. North American players are generally eligible at ages 18 through 20, while international players can be selected at 18 through 21. Teams normally choose players from junior, collegiate or European leagues, and the selected player then negotiates with the club that drafted him.

The event began as the NHL Amateur Draft. The first draft was held on June 5, 1963, at Montreal’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel. The name changed to NHL Entry Draft in 1979, when eligibility rules were expanded to include players with professional experience, including players coming from the World Hockey Association.

The draft order is shaped by regular-season standings, playoff results and the draft lottery. The event was opened to the public in 1980 and first televised in 1984. It is different from an expansion draft, which fills a new franchise’s roster, and from free agency, where eligible players can sign without being selected.