The 2025 NHL Draft took place on June 27 and 28.
Defenseman Matthew Schaefer was selected first overall by the New York Islanders. The following four picks were all Centers to round out the top five picks.
However, future NHL stars were not the only notable people in attendance for the draft.
The draft turned out to be a star-studded event with numerous celebrities in attendance for the 2025 NHL Draft.
Numerous Celebrities Show Up For NHL Draft
The 2025 NHL Draft saw a lot of celebrities and popular athletes show up to announce picks.
Charles Barkley, who is a huge hockey fan, was the first big name to announce a selection. He announced Porter Martone as the sixth selection in the draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Philadelphia royalty making the sixth overall pick! 🤩
Charles Barkley and the @NHLFlyers select Porter Martone! 🟠
📺: 2025 Upper Deck #NHLDraft on @espn, @ESPNPlus, @Sportsnet and @TVASports pic.twitter.com/hnMCsJad2C
— NHL (@NHL) June 28, 2025
Actor Adam Sandler announced the Boston Bruins’ seventh overall selection. Sandler wore a Boston Bruins jersey and made a pre-recorded video as his “Happy Gilmore” character.
Happy Gilmore makes the pick! 🏌️
Adam Sandler and the @NHLBruins select James Hagens!
📺: 2025 Upper Deck #NHLDraft on @espn, @ESPNPlus, @Sportsnet and @TVASports pic.twitter.com/gatNf2Q3m2
— NHL (@NHL) June 28, 2025
WWE superstar Bayley announced the San Jose Sharks’ selection. Bayley is from San Jose and is a Sharks fan.
Bayley announces the San Jose Sharks draft pick.pic.twitter.com/qPMhpBQYwE
— Fightful Wrestling (@Fightful) June 27, 2025
The Anaheim Ducks brought out actors Jackson Jackson and Marguerite Moreau, famous for their roles in the 1992 classic ‘The Mighty Ducks’, to announce their selection.
A moment Roger McQueen will never forget, as original Mighty Ducks cast members Marguerite Moreau and Joshua Jackson announce he was selected 10th overall by the Ducks. #NHLDraft | @Honda pic.twitter.com/gb8VxGMYZJ
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) June 28, 2025
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and his 12-year-old son, Alex, announced the Penguins’ selection of Benjamin Kindel for the team at pick No. 11.
Another Philadelphia great, Brandon Graham, announced the Philadelphia Flyers’ 12th pick, Jack Nesbitt.
St. Louis native, comedian, Nikki Glaser, made some jokes while announcing the Blues’ selection at their draft party.
Nikki Glaser reveals our 2025 #NHLDraft first-round pick pic.twitter.com/1C475t0bok
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) June 28, 2025
NHL Hall of Famers Jeremy Roenick and Shea Weber announced the selections of their former teams, the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators, respectively.
Rock band Goo Goo Dolls announced the selection for their hometown team, the Buffalo Sabres.
Dave Coulier, the Full House actor, announced the pick for his favorite hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings. Coulier is currently cancer-free after being treated for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Thanks for the assist, @DaveCoulier! pic.twitter.com/VkvqPmsO15
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 28, 2025
Kevin Connolly, best known for his role as Eric Murphy on Entourage, announced his favorite team, the New York Islanders’ draft selections.
The moment Victor Eklund became an Islander. #LGI | @UBS pic.twitter.com/aVdRQ04TGf
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 28, 2025
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle announced the Nashville Predators’ selection.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate @gkittle46 calling Cameron Reid a beauty pic.twitter.com/5buTVsNxyQ
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) June 28, 2025
Star-Studded Appearances Helps Bring New Eyes To NHL Draft
The NHL needs to continue to find ways to boost awareness, promote its biggest stars, and continue to grow the game.
Unlike the NFL and NBA, the NHL Draft has not been a notable event in recent years but that changed in 2025. Getting celebrities to announce selections for the 2025 NHL Draft was yet another initiative taken by commissioner Gary Bettman to get new eyes on the league.
The move brought more awareness to the NHL and had more than just die-hard hockey fans talking about the future of the league.
It turned out to be great way to drive engagement and win attention away from the NFL and NBA on social media for a couple of days.
The NHL needs to boost ratings and social media views, especially in comparison to the other Big Four leagues (NFL, NBA, and MLB). The 4 Nations tournament turned out to be a tremendous success, as the NHL was the talk of the sports world during this event.
With the Winter Olympics coming up, hockey will be front and center once again as the United States tries to capture its first gold medal since 1980.
All in all, it was nice to see so many celebrities support the NHL, and hopefully, this helps grow the popularity of the game across the United States.
