It's a coming-out party, ice hockey style.

The next generation of NHL stars made their first virtual walks across the stage Tuesday night when the league held the first round of its annual selection process from myriad North American sites.

The draft was broadcast live on NBC Sports Network from its studios in Stamford, Connecticut, and Toronto, while NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman ran the point from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Bettman pivoted virtually to various team executives and personnel at their respective facilities for the actual picks, which were followed by the requisite living-room reaction shots with the players and their families.

The B/R ice hockey team was on hand for the whole process and went through the picks with a fine-tooth comb to come up with a list of real winners and losers. Read on to take a look at our picks and drop a comment or two to let us know where we might have gotten it right—or wrong.

Winner: Hockey in Midtown

It was among the worst-kept secrets in modern hockey history.

From the moment a ping-pong ball with the New York Rangers logo was plucked from a vacuum tube in August, nearly everyone outside of Alexis Lafreniere himself knew he'd be the first pick in the NHL draft.

General manager Jeff Gorton never publicly committed to the Quebec-born teenager prior to Tuesday night, but when he made it official amid colleagues from a headquarters conference room, it was still a significant moment in the team's fast-track rebuild toward Stanley Cup contention.

The prolific junior winger has put up numbers comparable to guys like Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, and no less an authority than ex-NHL general manager Craig Button assured Rangers fans they'll be happy from Day 1.

NBC's Pierre Maguire compared him to Jarome Iginla, who scored 625 NHL goals.

"He's ready to contribute," Button said. "You're going to get 60 points or more in your first full season in the NHL. There is no style of game that he does not excel in. I don't see anything but success for Alexis Lafreniere with the New York Rangers."

The only downside? Lafreniere, who pulled on a No. 20 sweater upon being selected, will not be able to wear either of his first two choices, Nos. 11 and 9, with the Rangers because they've both been retired.

Winner: Diversity in Hockey

Selecting No. 2 overall, the Los Angeles Kings got themselves a big-bodied center with skill and potential.

But their pick of Quinton Byfield seems even more substantial.

The 6'4", 215-pounder became the highest-drafted Black player in NHL history, going two picks earlier than Evander Kane (San Jose Sharks) and Seth Jones (Columbus Blue Jackets), who were selected fourth overall in 2009 and 2013, respectively.

Byfield shares both a hometown and an agent with Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, and the immediate consensus was that he'd be a good fit in Los Angeles both on and off the ice.

The 18-year-old rocked a double-breasted white suit jacket with a bowtie on the selection show, showing a stylish flair that could make him a crossover star in Southern California.

"The folks in L.A. are really going to get a kick out of the style and the personality of Quinton Byfield," TSN commentator Bob McKenzie said. "He's really growing into the fact that he's got a great personality off the ice, as well."

Button agreed, suggesting the pick could be viewed as a steal down the road.

"If you're looking at one guy who could wind up being the best player in this draft," he said, "it could be Quinton Byfield."

Winner: Ottawa Goes Viral

OK, let's dispense with the hockey stuff right away.

Tim Stuetzle is a highly skilled left wing with great hockey sense and blazing speed. And he's the second German player to be selected third overall in the last six years, following reigning NHL MVP Leon Draisaitl.

But his Tuesday selection by the Ottawa Senators will be remembered for one thing, and one thing only: Alex Trebek.

The Jeopardy! host and Canadian icon was called into action to assist the Senators in announcing their pick, taking his place behind the familiar game-show podium to post the answer: "With the third pick in the 2020 NHL draft, the Ottawa Senators choose this player."

The question: "Who is Tim Stuetzle?"

Whether Lafreniere and Byfield have better careers is immaterial. Stuetzle's arrival was Hall of Fame-worthy.

Loser: Mucking Up the Mocks

The scene was set.

The Buffalo Sabres were selecting eighth in Tuesday night's first round, and the player slotted for them in a slew of predraft mockups, OHL standout Marco Rossi, was there for the taking.

But then general manager Kevyn Adams threw a curveball.

The newly hired executive instead went with Rossi's junior teammate, Jack Quinn, who, in spite of glowing praise from analysts on the broadcast, scored 31 fewer points in 2019-20 while playing six more games.

Rossi's 2.14 points per game were fifth in the OHL over the last 20 years among players aged 18 or younger, and he was ranked five slots ahead of Quinn in the final predraft analysis by ESPN's Chris Peters.

Count Blueshirt Banter's Adam Herman among those surprised.

"Taking Quinn over Rossi is particularly incredible because they play on the same team," he said on Twitter. "Someone watched both of them on the ice together and preferred Quinn! What?"

Loser: Pekka Rinne's Job Security

Pekka Rinne is undeniably one of the best goalies of his generation. He's won 359 NHL games, has stopped 91.7 percent of the shots in his direction and took home the Vezina Trophy after the 2017-18 season.

But his days seem numbered in Nashville.

The Predators' gaze took a distinct turn toward the future Tuesday night when they used the 11th pick in the draft to select 18-year-old Russian goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. And while that alone may not dent Rinne's confidence, the heady words about his would-be successor might.

"That's a tremendous pick by the Nashville Predators," Button said. "He's the best goaltender entering the draft since Carey Price [in 2005]."

Askarov is currently playing in Russia's KHL, which means he may not make the NHL roster for two years. Still, Maguire saw Button's effusive praise for the pick and raised him.

"You see Carey Price, but I see a guy who's won Stanley Cups," he said. "There's a Martin Brodeur component to this player. Whether you have to wait for the player or not, you have to take the best player available."

Loser: Waiting for Big Deals

It's a common theme entering drafts in all sports.

Team executives speak in code. Analysts, eager to earn the clicks that justify their annual existences, forecast myriad backroom deals that will result in significant trades up and down the draft board.

So heading into Tuesday night, there was at least a little intrigue in the air.

Until there wasn't.

Not only was there not a late deal to snatch Alexis Lafreniere from the New York Rangers or a scenario in which a major name was shipped away to secure future prospect capital, but there was also nothing that moved the needle past "meh" as the first round drifted into its second half.

The biggest deal of draft day actually came hours before the selections began when the Montreal Canadiens dealt center Max Domi and a third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Josh Anderson.

In fact, the only trades of the entire first round occurred well after 9 p.m. ET when the Rangers traded their 22nd and 72nd picks to the Calgary Flames to move up three spots and select WHL defenseman Braden Schneider at No. 19. Calgary then shipped the 22nd pick to the Washington Capitals for the 24th and 80th picks.

Those aren't exactly earth-shattering moves, though the player selected by the Rangers did come with high praise.

"All he's done in the WHL is consistently improve," Maguire said. "When you watch how a player was raw at age 15 or 16 and how much he's progressed, it's pretty impressive."

Winner: Rolling the Medical Dice

Had Tuesday's draft been a year or so earlier, Hendrix Lapierre would have been a more coveted player.

The 6'0", 181-pounder is considered an elite playmaker and a center who can play a 200-foot game, but his draft prospects took a significant hit after a series of significant medical issues.

He was diagnosed with three separate concussions in the nine-month stretch from February to November 2019 and was shut down from playing hockey. Then he was re-diagnosed with a head and neck issue in February 2020 that was treated and led to his medical clearance just two months later.

He returned to the ice the weekend before the draft and scored two goals and two assists in his first game, but Maguire said several teams were probably scared off because the pandemic prevented them from a full examination before the draft. The Washington Capitals, though, took the chance on a big talent.

"Good on the Washington Capitals and good on the scouting staff to see how talented this player is," Maguire said. "They'll take a chance on him and see where it goes from here."

Lapierre was flanked by several family members as the pick was announced, and their subsequent reaction was as emotional as any from the entire night.

"I think he can be a home-run pick," Button said. "He's a playmaker, but there's nothing wrong with that if you're an elite playmaker. It's a really smart play."

Lapierre, 18, seemed pleased with the result, too.

"It's amazing. It's an amazing feeling. Washington was one of my favorite teams because of [Alex] Ovechkin," he said. "It was really a tough year. But I feel like being drafted today, especially by Washington, is like a cherry on top of the sundae."

All Picks from 1st Round of the 2020 NHL Draft

1. New York Rangers: Alexis Lafreniere

2. Los Angeles Kings: Quinton Byfield

3. Ottawa Senators (from San Jose Sharks): Tim Stuetzle

4. Detroit Red Wings: Lucas Raymond

5. Ottawa Senators: Jake Sanderson

6. Anaheim Ducks: Jamie Drysdale

7. New Jersey Devils: Alexander Holtz

8. Buffalo Sabres: Jack Quinn

9. Minnesota Wild: Marco Rossi

10. Winnipeg Jets: Cole Perfetti

11. Nashville Predators: Yaroslav Askarov

12. Florida Panthers: Anton Lundell

13. Carolina Hurricanes (from Toronto Maple Leafs): Seth Jarvis

14. Edmonton Oilers: Dylan Holloway

15. Toronto Maple Leafs (from Pittsburgh Penguins): Rodion Amirov

16. Montreal Canadiens: Kaiden Guhle

17. Chicago Blackhawks: Lukas Reichel

18. New Jersey Devils (from Arizona Coyotes): Dawson Mercer

19. New York Rangers (from Calgary Flames): Braden Schneider

20. New Jersey Devils (from Tampa Bay Lightning via Vancouver Canucks): Shakir Mukhamadullin

21. Columbus Blue Jackets: Yegor Chinakhov

22. Washington Capitals (from Calgary Flames via New York Rangers via Carolina Hurricanes): Hendrix Lapierre

23. Philadelphia Flyers: Tyson Foerster

24. Calgary Flames (from Washington Capitals): Connor Zary

25. Colorado Avalanche: Justin Barron

26. St. Louis Blues: Jake Neighbours

27. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston Bruins): Jacob Perreault

28. Ottawa Senators (from New York Islanders): Ridly Greig

29. Vegas Golden Knights: Brendan Brisson

30. Dallas Stars: Mavrik Bourque

31. San Jose Sharks (from Tampa Bay Lightning): Ozzy Wiesblatt