The NHL draft lottery had a new look and a vastly different result.

The 23rd-place New York Islanders earned the right to pick first overall in the June 27-28 draft by winning the first live draft lottery in league history on Monday. The 19th-place Utah Hockey Club won the other drawing and moved up the maximum allowed 10 spots to fourth place.

The Islanders, currently between general managers, had 3.5% odds of winning the No. 1 overall pick. They will select first for the first time since drafting John Tavares in 2009.

The top-ranked North American prospect is Matthew Schaefer, though NHL Central Scouting said it’s close. The Erie (Pennsylvania) Otters defenseman missed the rest of the season after breaking his collarbone during the winter while playing for Team Canada at the world junior hockey championship. He had 22 points in 17 games.

Last year, the last-place San Jose Sharks and the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks held onto their current spots and picked first and second, respectively. They will pick second and third this year.

Previously, the draw was conducted off camera, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly would turn over cards with team logos on them until the winner was revealed. But everyone got to watch the draw of the lottery balls live, and commissioner Gary Bettman was in the room, too.

NHL draft order after the lottery

1. New York Islanders
2. San Jose Sharks
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Utah Hockey Club
5. Nashville Predators
6. Philadelphia Flyers
7. Boston Bruins
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Anaheim Ducks
11. Pittsburgh Penguins
12. New York Rangers
13. Detroit Red Wings
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. Vancouver Canucks
16. Montreal Canadiens (from Calgary Flames)

Draft lottery winners

Next Islanders general manager

Nice perk for whoever lands the job to replace Lou Lamoriello. The Islanders didn’t have much of a chance to win the draft lottery, but they now will land a solid prospect. Dan Marr, vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said, ‘Schaefer easily projects as a future All-Star in the NHL.”

Utah Hockey Club

They were competitive in their first season in Salt Lake City and missed the playoffs by nine points. By winning the second drawing, they’ll pick fourth this year after choosing sixth in 2024.

Sharks and Blackhawks

Because Utah could only move up to fourth, the Sharks and Blackhawks move back only one spot each. If Schaefer goes first, these teams could end up with Michael Misa, James Hagens or Anton Frondell.

Draft lottery losers

Nashville Predators

They had a surprisingly bad season despite adding free agents Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. Despite having the third-best odds to win, they drop to fifth.

The live drawing

There’s probably a reason this is done off camera. ESPN did a great job of explaining, but it was a little tedious to watch, starting with the deliberate loading of the lottery balls. Then we watch them bounce around for 30 seconds before one was drawn, then the process was repeated twice. Before the fourth and deciding ball was drawn, they cut to commercial, followed by another 30 seconds of bouncing.

Calgary Flames

After three balls in the second drawing, the Flames were in the mix to move from 16th to sixth. If that happened, under trade terms with Montreal, they would have held onto that pick and instead sent the Canadiens the pick that Calgary had acquired in a trade with the Panthers. But Utah won. So no sixth pick, no 16th pick (heading to Montreal). They’ll pick wherever the Panthers land, which could be much later.

Top North American skaters

1. Erie (OHL) defenseman Matthew Schaefer
2. Saginaw (OHL) center Michael Misa
3. Boston College center James Hagens
4. Brantford (OHL) center Jake O’Brien
5. Seattle (WHL) defenseman Radim Mrtka
6. Brampton (OHL) right wing Porter Martone
7. Moncton (QMJHL) center Caleb Desnoyers
8. Brandon (WHL) center Roger McQueen
9. Barrie (OHL) defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson
10. Everett (WHL) left wing Carter Bear

Top international skaters

1. Djurgarden (Sweden) center Anton Frondell
2. Djurgarden (Sweden) right wing Victor Eklund
3. Modo Jr. (Sweden) Milton Gastrin
4. Karlovy Vary (Czechia) left wing Vojtech Cihar
5. Ufa Jr. (Russia) right wing Alexander Zharovsky

When is the NHL draft?

The 2025 NHL Draft will be held June 27-28. The first round will be on June 27 and rounds 2-7 will be held the next day. The times haven’t been announced yet. It will be held in Los Angeles at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater. Top prospects will be there, but not team representatives, who will take part virtually.

What’s wrong with Boston big man Kristaps Porzingis?

The Celtics pulled Porzingis midway through the second quarter of their opening game against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night.

While he briefly appeared after halftime, he went back to the locker room, and the Celtics announced he was questionable to return to the game thanks to a non-COVID illness. He did not return, and the Knicks overcame a 20-point deficit to win 118-115 in overtime.

Porzingis was not on the injury report before Game 1. It is unclear if he will be available for Game 2 on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

“It impacts the game because of his ability on both ends of the floor. … Hopefully, he’s ready for Game 2,’ Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the Game 1 loss. Mazzulla did not provide any specifics about the illness.

He missed all four of his shot attempts and grabbed four rebounds in the 14 minutes he played. The 7-2, 240-pound center/forward is averaging 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds.

In the opening round vs. the Orlando Magic, Porzingis suffered a cut on his forehead that required stitches.

He missed 11 games in February and March with an upper respiratory illness. During Boston’s run to the title last season, Porzingis sat out six games with a calf strain. He returned for the NBA Finals, only to suffer a foot injury that required offseason surgery.

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I am a 28-year-old unmarried man with very poor fashion sense. I have never watched the Met Gala before. In the last year, three of my female friends have asked to take me on shopping sprees in order to improve my fashion. I have not taken any of them up on that offer.

Despite these beaming qualifications, USA TODAY determined it fit for me to judge the outfits of the sports stars at the 2025 Met Gala.

Why? I’ve no idea, but I have seen how my boss dresses and I’m definitely more qualified than him.

Regardless, the Met Gala is an annual event that gives celebrities the opportunity to dress their best, strut their stuff, and put their best foot forward all while facing massive criticism from experts everywhere. Having never seen the Met Gala before, I haven’t the slightest idea what to expect, but I will be handing out harsh grades for everyone.

I know that the theme is ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,’ but I am white and, in case I hadn’t made it clear already, have no style. Therefore, forewarning, that theme is getting thrown out the window in my assessments.

So, buckle up, you may have seen opinions from people with fashion degrees and years of experience with this type of event, but have you ever heard opinions from a man with Cheeto dust on more than half of the shirts in his closet? I doubt it.

Sports figure fit checks at 2025 Met Gala

Noah Lyles

The fastest man alive, Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles was one of the first sports figures to show at the 2025 Met Gala. Lyles wore Thom Browne, and I have no idea if that is good or not, but I do know that is not how Tom is typically spelled, making the fit seem that much more high-class.

As for the fit itself, I believe I can speak for all men when I say we appreciate a good jacket. This is a nice jacket with a solid cane to boot. The rings and jewelry look outstanding as well. That said, shorts and a jacket is a bold choice. While you certainly can’t blame a track star for wanting to show off his stems, he covers most of them up with tube socks.

Venus Williams

Fur coat? Fantastic. The short skirt feels like a subtle tennis homage, and paired with the dark green, this fit fits the elder Williams incredibly well. Her hair almost looks angelic too. It all looks great, but I can’t for the life of me understand who decided that shirt needed a pocket.

Everything about the outfit sparkles, but then there’s just a basic envelope or Game of Thrones-banner looking pocket that draws away from the entire thing. Am I missing something? Probably. Do I care? No.

Simone Biles

Incredible. That is all I have to say. Everything feels like it flows together extremely well. My only gripe would be that the train flowing in the back seems bulky and heavy. Might be tough to drag that around for an entire night.

Sabrina Ionescu

When in doubt, go with the basics. No one will ever criticize a nice jacket, a slender black skirt, and a well-fitting top. That said, compared to the rest of the outfits we’ve seen tonight, this can’t help but feel a bit underwhelming. Where are the extravagant sparkles? Diamonds only on the wrists and fingers? This feels like an outfit I’d see at a nice dinner. Albeit, she’d be far and away the best-dressed person at said dinner, but for the Met Gala, this feels rather tame.

Lewis Hamilton

Europeans love to claim that they have better fashion sense than Americans, and dad gummit, it’s hard to argue that point after seeing Hamilton’s outfit. Does he look like a stereotypical foreign dictator in a superhero film? Absolutely, but that attires goes dangerously hard in every one of those films.

Dwyane Wade

The vest here is immaculate. It’s eye-catching, yet subtle. It’s the first thing you see, but it’s hidden behind the jacket, which looks great as well. The pants are pretty basic, but you can never go wrong with black slacks.

Unfortunately, this outfit falls apart with the undershirt. What even is that? A tuxedo T-shirt? Why even have an undershirt at that point? Wade is a former NBA All-Pro. He could have just had some of his pecs showing and it would’ve been great, instead, he’s sitting there with a fake tie plastered looking like it was painted. It takes away from the rest of the outfit, which is fantastic, and for that, it is unforgivable.

Serena Williams

Now, this, I can get behind. The tail is certainly giving off ‘king-sized comforter’ vibes, but the rest of the outfit seems godly. You could put Serena Williams in any Broadway play about the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, or Norse pantheons and she would fit right in. The transparent streak across the thigh as well –*chef’s kiss,* brilliant.

Saquon Barkley

Hey, Saquon Barkley looks pretty good … for a man attending junior prom. While the shoes are certainly shined enough for the Met Gala, the rest of the outfit seems pretty bland. I don’t know if Barkley has a wedding to attend after this, but given how well everyone else is dressed, Barkley’s fit is too basic for me to be impressed. Anyone can look good in a fitted black suit with a pocket square.

Joe Burrow

Now here’s a suit I can appreciate. Top button undone to reveal a nice necklace, no pocket square but instead a fancy broach, square sunglasses. It all screams ‘I know how to dress well and you don’t.’ That subtle arrogance is what makes Joe Burrow an elite quarterback, and it’s clear he’s not going anywhere any time soon.

Breanna Stewart

I don’t know what’s going on with her hair. It looks like a mix of Cruela de Vil, Brandon Routh’s Superman, and the poster for A Nightmare Before Christmas. Keep in mind, I could never get my hair to look that good.

The rest of the ensemble is great though. The necklace hangs somewhat low, which looks nice, and while all-white can sometimes be too much, it isn’t overwhelming for Stewart. The hat tilt is also a nice touch. All in all though, this feels like something that would be better suited for the Kentucky Derby instead of the Met Gala.

Angel Reese

I don’t know which outfit I like more, Simone Biles’ or Angel Reese’s. This fit goes incredibly hard, mixing what I believe is both a traditional sleek look with a more modern design as well. The more I look at this outfit, the more I love it. I genuinely can’t find one thing wrong with it. She looks remarkable.

Colin Kaepernick

Suits are always an easy choice, but a checkered red suit with a cloth over the back can be risky, yet Kaepernick pulls this off flawlessly. From the pin to the rings, to the singular button on the suit, it all works tremendously.

If I did have one gripe with this outfit, it’d have to be the collar. Why are the tips not pointed? I’ve never seen a squared off collar, and I’m not sure I ever want to see one again after this. Otherwise though, perfect.

Gabby Thomas

While I do love the beads dangling from whatever those sleeves are, the sleeves themselves are too wide. I (a man with no fashion sense) believe they would look better as soft fabric dangling on her elbow or lower tricep. Instead, they are out wide and probably make it tough for her to fit through doorways without scuffing the outfit.

It’s a shame because the vest and outfit both look tremendous and she looks incredible in bright red, but I cannot get over those sleeves (or whatever they are called).

Sha’Carri Richardson

Given what we’ve seen Richardson wear in the past, this seems almost tame. But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. She looks the most elegant she ever has, and while pink and yellow can be tough to match, the colors match effortlessly here. The long, dark hair is also an incredible look that contrasts with the outfit extremely well. No complaints, just praise.

Justin Jefferson

I have not seen Sinners in theaters yet, but based on the few clips on TikTok I’ve received, I believe Justin Jefferson modeled his entire look off Michael B. Jordan. He looks like he runs a speak easy in the bayou. It’s not bad, and it’s certainly not bland, but I don’t think Jefferson pulls off the baggy suit look as well as someone like Kaepernick did this year.

That said, the no-belt and high-waisted look on the pants are certainly working well for Jettas. I don’t even mind the tie tucked into the pants which would normally give me an aneurysm. None of this outfit seems particularly bad, but none of it stands out either. I will give his outfit the edge over Saquon Barkley though, given its many non-traditional aspects.

Chalk up another big win for the Washington Commanders, who have come a mighty long way in a very short time since what’s-his-name buried the dignity of that used-to-be-called franchise so deep into the mud.

Last week, the Commanders and native son owner Josh Harris announced a deal to bring the franchise home from the Maryland suburbs in 2030, pending D.C. City Council approval, with a $3.7 billion stadium project on the hallowed grounds of RFK Stadium.

On Monday came official word that the NFL draft, hosted by the Commanders, is coming in 2027 to the National Mall. Lights. Cameras. Monuments. And Mel Kiper, Jr.

Let the Congressional Record show: No way this gets done with Dan Snyder.

Yet here’s what was always possible, once the NFL was able to separate itself from the widely reviled Snyder in 2023 for the record sale tag of $6.05 billion: The NFL again has a signature franchise in the nation’s capital. Long-suffering fans wearing “Hog” noses and memories of the “Fun Bunch” are back on the bandwagon, ushering in a new generation. Politicos on Capitol Hill, even in these perilous times, might have reason again to come across the aisle for the sake of football?

Snyder swung and missed in seeking stadium deals in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. It has taken less than two years for Harris & Co. to strike the stadium deal and deliver the draft the NFL has long envisioned for D.C. Apparently, entities that couldn’t or wouldn’t do business with the franchise when it was owned by Snyder, are now more willing and able.

“They’ve brought honor back to the franchise,” sports consultant Marc Ganis told USA TODAY Sports, as news of the draft announcement spread. “That’s what changed the entire political landscape. It’s the perception of the franchise. It was always vitally important to the community, but no one wanted to go near it, politically, especially, for many years.”

And shoot, the Commanders product on the field has blown up, too, with rookie-of-the-year Jayden Daniels leading the way to the NFC title game in January.

What significant markers for the comeback of one of the league’s oldest franchises.

Take it from President Donald Trump. The red-hot Commanders are …

Wait a minute. Take it from who?

That it was Trump who made the announcement about the draft at the White House, with Harris, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Washington mayor Muriel Bowser in the wings, was quite the play on political football. The draft, Trump trumpeted, is “a big thing.”

And, like I’d suspect for many D.C. residents (hey, now that Canada isn’t in the mix, anyone for being the 51^st state?), Trump is bullish on the idea of the 65,000-seat domed stadium.

“I don’t think there’s a better site than anywhere in the world than that site,” Trump declared. (Please, given the pending process, just don’t try to make it an executive order).

Be not deceived by the optics. While it is undoubtedly beneficial to have the president supporting the NFL’s biggest offseason tentpole event, the D.C. draft has been in the league’s vision for years. He does not get credit for this. Trump hopped on a train that was already moving toward the end zone without his involvement.

Then again, it’s hardly surprising that Trump, who in February became the first sitting president to attend a Super Bowl, seized on a prime opportunity. A week earlier, Trump, after golfing with Saquon Barkley, hosted the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles for a ceremony – even though Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts and more than a dozen players didn’t show up – and now he’s on the clock for the draft.

This, after spending time in recent days with Nick Saban as speculation persists that he will take aim at the NIL impact on college sports.

Yet big announcements like we saw on Monday, or a week ago Monday (when Trump lobbied to keep the “tush push” while feting the champs) also provide some cover of distraction for matters that I’d suspect matter more to many Americans.

You know. The economy, tariffs and the threat of a recession. Democracy. Respect for the Constitution and judicial system. Political targeting. Due process for deportations. And so on.

When the Q&A part of the NFL event got underway, football took a back seat to questions about illegal immigration, Alcatraz, a potential trade deal with China…and so on.

Watching from home, I flashed back to the Trump from his first administration, when he viciously attacked the NFL – and particularly its players – as the national anthem protests inspired by Colin Kaepernick over the killings of unarmed minorities by police gained momentum as part of a larger cultural movement.

What’s the reaction – from Trump and the NFL – if there are more protests ahead?

Already, Trump has made it clear what he thinks of one of the NFL’s core social principles – diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) – while attacking it on a broad, systematic scale. The NFL, to its credit, has held firm with its DEI commitment, against the grain of so many companies rolling back what they once said they stood for.

The NFL still has the Rooney Rule, an Accelerator Program and will collaborate with the Black College Football Hall of Fame next month for the Ozzie Newsome General Manager Forum and a Quarterback Coaching Summit.

Then again, the politics flowed both ways as Goodell – who often defends the NFL’s DEI efforts with vigor – showered Trump with gratitude for his support on the stadium deal.

“Great to come back home,” said Goodell, who, like Harris, grew up in the District. His late father, Charles, represented New York as a U.S. Senator and Congressman, and left a legacy for his moral standing as a prominent anti-Vietnam War advocate.

Yet Goodell was clearly on a political business mission at the White House. It seemed a bit odd, at first, that he thanked Trump for the North American trade agreement struck during the President’s first term. Then when Trump replied that the money earned by the NFL was well-deserved – the pact allowed local TV ads to be shown in Canada during the Super Bowl, increasing the value of the league’s Canadian broadcasting rights – the politics were crystal clear.

Harris knows. A pivotal factor for progressing on the stadium deal came in December, when Congress – despite apparent resistance from Maryland lawmakers, with the team currently playing in their state – transferred jurisdiction of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia.

Ganis doubts this happens without the ownership change. Snyder was that toxic.

“Nobody ever touches it,” Ganis said. “He doesn’t get the legislation for the conveyance of the property; the deal with the city doesn’t happen. Roger, as hard as he’s worked on this for years, and as much influence as he had, could not get anything through.”

It’s a new day now, like a dream for D.C.’s football faithful. It’s no wonder that Harris took a moment at the White House to reflect on that theme.

“I grew up here,” he said. “D.C. used to stop on Sundays. Everyone would be inside, watching football; (or)…glued at the stadium. So, we want to bring that back.”

That vision for the Commanders’ chief is fueled these days by so much momentum.

Follow Jarrett Bell on social media: @JarrettBell