Storm Advisory 6/26/20: NHL Draft Lottery tonight; Hurricanes begin practice Tuesday 6/30

It’s NHL Draft Lottery Day

2020 NHL Draft Lottery
NHL Studios
Friday, June 26, 2020 - 8:00 pm
Watch: NBCSN and NHL Network (US), SportsNet and TVA (Canada)

Tonight’s first phase of the NHL Draft lottery will determine which teams will be assigned the top three spots in the 2020 NHL entry draft. The lottery drawing includes 15 teams — the seven teams that have already been eliminated from the playoffs plus the eight teams that will be eliminated after the qualifier round. Because those eight teams in the qualification round are yet to be named, a placeholder will be assigned to each one, and if the placeholder wins any of the top three draft positions, a second phase of the lottery will be held after the qualification round is completed.

Clear as mud? The NHL explains the full draft lottery procedure along with odds for each team, the Hurricanes lay out how it is possible for the team to win a top-three pick, and Ryan Henkel outlined all the Canes’ possible scenarios of the draft including how it is impacted by the pick they own from the Maple Leafs and the pick they owe the Rangers in the Brady Skjei trade.

PNC Arena will open for player practice on Tuesday

The ice is down at PNC Arena and soon Hurricanes players will be skating on it. As announced earlier this morning, voluntary skating practice will begin at the arena on Tuesday, June 30. This is in conjunction with Phase 2 of the NHL’s Return to Play plan, which began June 8. Sixteen Canes players are currently expected to be there when the arena opens, which will require multiple practice groups. Under current protocol, a maximum of 12 players are allowed to skate in a practice group.

All practice sessions will be closed to fans and media. The team press release follows:

RALEIGH, NC - Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team will begin voluntary small-group training at PNC Arena on Tuesday, June 30. All sessions will be closed to the public and media.

In compliance with Phase 2 of National Hockey League’s (NHL) Return to Play Plan, all players and staff permitted inside PNC Arena will be tested for COVID-19 prior to participation. Hurricanes personnel will follow the health and safety guidelines of Phase 2, in addition to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) guidelines. The Hurricanes are expecting 16 players to participate during Tuesday’s voluntary training session. In accordance with Phase 2 guidelines, the team will be divided into two groups.

PNC Arena has undergone extensive cleaning during the NHL’s pause, and will proceed with enhanced cleaning and sanitation efforts as the Hurricanes progress through the NHL’s Return to Play Plan.

The health and safety of the Hurricanes’ fans, players and staff remains the team’s top priority. The Hurricanes encourage everyone to continue thoroughly washing their hands, follow social distancing protocols, and wear a face covering when in public places.

In other news:

• Eight Canes players are already present and accounted for in Raleigh: Ryan Dzingel, Dougie Hamilton, Brock McGinn, Andrei Svechnikov, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal, Vincent Trocheck, and Justin Williams. According to a report in Finnish media, Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen are also on their way back to North America today via a private charter. [Ilta-Sanomat]
• WHEN the playoffs resume, Canes players will be appropriately outfitted for the occasion. [Canes.com]

• On this week’s Canes Corner podcast, Tripp Tracy joined Adam Gold and Alec Campbell to explain why the Canes are going to win the Stanley Cup. [WRALSportsFan] [Podcast]
• And ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski joined Joe Ovies and Joe Giglio on the Best of the OG to talk Hockey Hall of Fame snubs. [WRALSportsFan] [Podcast]
• The fans have spoken, and EBUG David Ayres has been proclaimed the winner of the “Greatest Moment of the NHL Season (So Far).” [Canes.com]

• More than four months since Ayres’ miraculous performance, the recognition and support hasn’t slowed down, and he’s continuing to use his new-found fame to bring attention to kidney disease, transplants and organ donation. [North State Journal]
• Time for Tweetmail — All about the quarantine and returning to play. [Canes.com]
• Today is NHL Pride Day and perhaps the best way for the Hurricanes to acknowledge it is by letting the fans describe what it means to them.

• The Buffalo Sabres are rebuilding their scouting department. It may serve them well to look at Hurricanes’ senior vice president of hockey operations (and former Sabre) Rick Dudley as a role model. [Buffalo News]
• The OHL’s Sarnia Sting have a new director of US scouting. Congratulations Rosey! [Sting Hockey]

• The Charlotte Checkers, led by COO Tera Black, are working to position themselves for success when the AHL returns to play. [North State Journal]
• An unusual number of teams competing in the NHL’s 24-team tournament have goaltending controversies. Here’s a breakdown of 11 unsettled creases. [The Hockey News]
• The Seattle NHL expansion team doesn’t have a name yet but its arena does, thanks to an unprecedented partnership with Amazon and the Oakview Group. [ESPN]

• The Athletic has conducted another ‘anonymous’ poll, except this time with mascots. I mean where else are you going to find out if pants are overrated? [The Athletic $]
• Finally ... the Flavortown Blue Jackets, who says no? Thousands have signed a petition to rename Columbus, Ohio “Flavortown” to honor Guy Fieri instead of Christopher Columbus. [The Hill]