06/29/2021 While we haven’t yet hit the 2021-22 NHL season where ESPN’s full rightsholder coverage officially starts, the Worldwide Leader has been making their presence felt with a numberofhiringannouncements. And now, they’re going to have a significant presence in coverage of both of the 2021 NHL expansion draft (for the incoming Seattle Kraken) and the 2021 NHL entry draft. Both of those broadcasts will be produced by the NHL’s original productions team, and will air on ESPN2 (as well as Sportsnet and associated over-the-top streaming service SN Now in Canada); we’ve seen ESPN pick up some NHL broadcasts from others in the past, so that’s not new. But what’s interestingly different about this announcement is the amount of ESPN talent involved, including hosts Chris Fowler (for the expansion draft) and John Buccigross (for round one of the entry draft). Here’s more from a NHL.com release: