NAHL Draft FAQ

When is the NAHL Entry Draft?
In 2024, the NAHL Entry Draft will be held on Wednesday, June 12th at 1pm (central). The NAHL Entry Draft will be broadcast live on NAHLTV and be done online at nahldraft.com.

Who is eligible for the NAHL Entry Draft?
Players that are born within the years of 2004-2008 are eligible to play in the NAHL, via USA Junior Hockey rules. Amateur players less than 21 years of age on December 31, 2024 who are not listed on an NAHL team roster or are listed on an NAHL team roster but played less than (10) NAHL regular season and/or playoff games during the 2023-24 season and did not accept a tender from an NAHL team prior to the 2024 NAHL Entry Draft are eligible for selection in the draft.

Do I have to register for the draft?
No. If you are eligible for the draft, each team will draft individual players largely based upon scouting throughout the season and/or a team's needs.

How many players can each team select in the NAHL Entry Draft?
The number of players each team is able to draft varies on that team's current roster (protected list) minus the number 30. Each team's roster is composed of veteran players and signed tenders only. For example, if a team has 15 veterans rostered and 8 tenders (23 total), that team is allowed seven (7) draft picks.

What is the order of the NAHL Entry Draft?
Eligible teams shall make selections in each round in reverse order of their finish in the 2023-24 NAHL regular-season standings. New member clubs shall have their order of selection determined by lottery. If there is only one new member club, it shall have the first selection in each round.

Do prospective NAHL players have to register for the NAHL Entry Draft?
No, there is no registration process to be eligible for the NAHL Entry Draft.

Are drafted players eligible to try out for other NAHL teams?
Unless agreed upon in writing by the two NAHL teams, tendered or drafted players are not eligible to try out for other NAHL teams.

Are drafted players eligible to try out for teams in other junior leagues?
Yes, all tendered and drafted players are eligible to try out for any team in any league other than the NAHL in the U.S. and Canada.

Will the results of the NAHL Entry Draft be posted on NAHL.com?
Yes, the results of the NAHL Entry Draft will be posted on NAHLDraft.com in its entirety upon completion.

Will the NAHL Entry Draft be broadcast?
Yes, the NAHL Entry Draft is scheduled to be broadcast with live round-by-round coverage on NAHLTV, official broadcast provider of the NAHL.

Will all NAHL tenders signings be posted on NAHL.com?
No, all tender signing will not be posted on NAHL.com. NAHL teams may make their tender signings public, but are not required to do so.

What if a prospective player is not drafted, but is still interested in playing the NAHL?
Players not drafted but who still want to play in the NAHL are encouraged to attend individual team's open tryout camps.

Additional Notes:

All NAHL rosters must be reduced to 25 players by September 1.