Vegas Golden Knights Expansion Draft: Team Will Pick Sixth

The Vegas Golden Knights - getting ready for their first season this fall - had been hoping to win the golden ticket for the expansion draft in June. Instead, the team found out Saturday, they will be picking sixth. The draft takes place June 23rd in Chicago.

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The NHL's newest team had a just better than 10 percent chance of landing the top pick.

The New Jersey Devils will pick first followed by the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, and Vancouver Canucks.

The Golden Knights point out sixth isn't so bad. Previous number six picks include Hall of Famers Paul Coffey and Peters Forsberg.

It was a tough end to a tough day for the team. General Manager George McPhee didn't even make it to Toronto for the selection process. His plane never left the tarmac in Washington, D.C. where he was because of mechanical difficulty.

McPhee participated by phone while he team's Hockey Operations Analyst, Tom Poraszka, was on the ground at the draft selection.

The Golden Knights and their fans found last week that the team will open their preseason September 17 in Vancouver with the first of four straight games on the road. They will then head to Colorado, San Jose, and Anaheim.

The Golden Knights then come home for their first game at T-Mobile Arena on September 26 when they host Los Angeles. That's followed by two more games at home - Colorado and San Jose.

Then - regular season.

Photo Vegas Golden Knights