The first round of the 2022 National Hockey League Entry Draft took place on Thursday in Montreal, Quebec, and there were nine Canadians taken in the first round. The Seattle Kraken selected center Shane Wright of Burlington, Ontario fourth overall; the Chicago Blackhawks selected defenseman Kevin Korchinski of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan seventh overall; the Buffalo Sabres selected center Matthew Savoie of St. Albert, Alberta ninth overall; the Arizona Coyotes selected center Conor Geekie of Strathclair, Manitoba 11th overall; the Columbus Blue Jackets selected defenseman Denton Mateychuk of Winnipeg, Manitoba 12th overall; the Pittsburgh Penguins selected defenseman Owen Pickering of St. Adolphe, Manitoba 21st overall; the Anaheim Ducks selected center Nathan Gaucher of Longueuil, Quebec 22nd overall; the Coyotes selected defenseman Maveric Lamoureux of Hawkesbury. Ontario 29th overall; and the Edmonton Oilers selected left winger Reid Schaefer of Edmonton, Alberta 32nd overall.
Of the nine Canadian first round draft picks, six were in the Western Hockey League, two were in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and one was in the Ontario Hockey League. Of the six Canadians drafted in the Western Hockey League, four were on Canadian teams. Savoie and Geekie were on the Winnipeg Ice, Mateychuk was on the Moose Jaw Warriors, and Pickering was on the Swift Current Broncos. Gaucher was on the Quebec Remparts, and Lamoureux was on the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Wright was the only Canadian drafted from the Ontario Hockey League in the first round. He played for the Kingston Frontenacs this past year.
