NHL Draft Location Finally Announced
The NHL is wrapping up its Board of Governors meetings in Seattle, Washington this week and there is some major news coming out of these meetings.
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First, the NHL announced that the 2024 NHL Draft is heading to Las Vegas and will be held in The Sphere on June 28th and 29th. The 2024 NHL Draft will be the last centralized draft before it is decentralized in 2025.
The NHL Draft will be held June 28/29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. NHL Board just made it official. This will be the final draft before decentralizing.
— Darren (@DarrenDreger) December 5, 2023
Chris Johnston of The Atletic: NHL is the first professional sports league to make use of the $2.3 Billion venue.
International 2025 Tournament Coming
The second item that Commissioner Gary Bettman discussed after the meetings was the return of International Hockey with NHL participation. Whether it is called the World Cup of Hockey or another name is still up in the air.
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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet: Smaller international event next February (likely four teams — Canada, Finland, Sweden, USA), hopeful for full World Cup in 2028… only concern he gives about Olympics is the construction of rink, which has started late. But he recognizes the importance of it.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN: Bettman says the most likely format for the February 2025 NHL-NHLPA international event is a best-on-best tourney featuring Finland, Sweden, USA and Canada Then hopefully Olympics in 2026 and World Cup of Hockey in 2028.
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: The NHL wants a four-team in-season international best-on-best tournament in the 2024-25 season that would require a break in the schedule similar to the Olympic break but shorter with only four teams involved. The hope is to unveil plans for a full-scale World Cup in 2028.
Likely the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland would be the four teams in the tournament in 2025. That was not announced officially.
Olympic Participation Inching Closer
From the sounds of it the NHL wants to head back to the Olympics in Italy in 2026, but Commissioner Gary Bettman has concerns, but knows it is important to get a decision made soon.
World Cup of Hockey Needs To Be Best-on-Best
Dan Rosen of NHL.com: The NHL has a meeting with the IOC next week to continue negotiations toward an agreement to attend the 2026 Olympics. Gary Bettman said a big concern of his is the arena for the Olympics is not yet under construction.
Chris Johnston of The Athletic: Gary Bettman says construction hasn’t begun on the arena needed for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
He calls it “a matter of some concern.”
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Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports: Lots of issues to be resolved before the NHL confirms that players will go at the Milan Olympics games in 2026. The biggest issue is the arena that could open only 6 weeks before the start of the games (if no more delays) and that’s a problem.
In addition, Commissioner Bettman stated that the NHL is expected to make $6.2 Billion in revenue and the salary cap is expected to go up to $87.7 million.
