Published Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 | 11:44 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 | 12:16 p.m.
The NHL Draft is coming to Las Vegas.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said at the Board of Governors meeting in Seattle that plans are being finalized for the 2024 entry draft to take place June 28-29 at the Sphere on the Strip. TSN was first to report from the meetings that the draft would be in Las Vegas.
It will be the last time the NHL Draft will be held in its current format, where all 32 teams are stationed on the host arena's floor throughout the two day-event. The NHL is moving forward with decentralizing the draft to a style similar to the NFL and NBA.
This will be the first time the Golden Knights have hosted the NHL Draft in their seven-year history.
Designed by the Madison Square Garden Co., the $2.3 billion Sphere opened in September, five years after ground was broken on Sands Avenue. The first event of its opening was the launch of U2's residency that runs through February.
The NHL will get a chance to use the Sphere's 580,000 square feet of LED lighting and an auditorium that seats 18,600 people.
Golden Knights owner Bill Foley has always been a fan of wanting to host the draft. He said back in June that the Golden Knights "had some good feedback" but no formal announcement was made. The location for the following year's draft is usually announced during the draft, but nothing was made official in Nashville this summer.
The draft is the latest high-profiled event that the Golden Knights have been involved in, between the All-Star Game in 2022 and hosting the Stanley Cup Final in 2018 and 2023. They'll also take place in their first Winter Classic on Jan. 1 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle against the Kraken.
It's also the latest sporting event to hit Las Vegas. Fresh off hosting Formula 1's Las Vegas Grand Prix on Nov. 18, Las Vegas will play host to the semifinals and championship of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament starting Thursday, followed by Super Bowl LVIII taking place at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 11.
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
