The majority of NHL teams support the decentralization of the draft, the league said in a memo released to its clubs Wednesday, per league sources.
The memo said it is not yet clear if any potential changes will be made for the June 2024 draft and mentioned that there are a number of logistical issues still to be considered as the NHL contemplates moving away from its traditional in-arena, convention-style format.
Advertisement
The push for change originated from a Board of Governors meeting earlier this month in New York and prompted the league to put out an Oct. 18 memo asking each club to place a ballot to determine if a strong majority were in favor of shifting to a draft similar to how the NFL and NBA conduct business, with team personnel remaining in their home markets while the prospects gather in one location.
A strong majority responded “yes” by Tuesday’s deadline, per league sources.
The NHL Draft is a unique event that’s been conducted with a single host location since 1963 — save for the 2020 and 2021 versions, which were held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the proposed decentralized model laid out in the Oct. 18 memo, the league would use a 5,000- to 10,000-seat venue and have one or two representatives from each club on hand. Prospects would be greeted by commissioner Gary Bettman and a team rep on the draft stage for a brief photo opportunity after being selected and could later be flown with their family to the club’s home city after finishing broadcast and media responsibilities.
While any potential changes aren’t likely to be implemented before 2025, the Oct. 18 memo did leave room for it to happen by this coming spring since the league is still working to finalize a location for that draft. Teams recently circulated a critical dates calendar that indicated the event would be held June 28-29, 2024, but no venue was listed.
Las Vegas has long been considered the front-runner to serve as host city, but it’s proven challenging. T-Mobile Arena is booked for a UFC event at the end of June, and the NHL has looked at several other potential sites, according to a league source familiar with those discussions, but it still hasn’t locked one down.
Among the broader issues the NHL has started to face with the event is a limited number of clubs being willing to serve as its host, which restricts scheduling options because of building availability. That’s because while the draft is typically a boon for the local tourism economy given the large number of visitors it brings to a city, it doesn’t typically come with a windfall for the host team.
Advertisement
Shifting to a decentralized draft would result in “significantly” reduced club travel and lodging costs, according to the NHL’s Oct. 18 memo. The other potential benefits listed were “more significant opportunities surrounding draft day fan events and related activities in each club’s home city; possible additional local revenue opportunities; and an increased number (and type) of venue and city/community options available in which the league could plan and conduct draft day proceedings.”
GO DEEPER
2024 NHL Draft ranking: Macklin Celebrini leads Corey Pronman's list
Required reading
- LeBrun rumblings: What NHL execs are saying about a decentralized draft ahead of Tuesday’s vote
- Johnston: Why the NHL is looking at radically changing its draft
(Photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)