In an exciting announcement, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has revealed that the 2024 NHL draft will be held in Las Vegas. The league is finalizing plans to host the event at the extraordinary Sphere, making the NHL the first sports league to hold an event at this innovative facility.

With its capacity of over 18,000 seats, the Sphere provides an ideal setting for this significant event. This will only be the third time in history that the NHL draft will take place at a non-NHL venue. The previous occasions were in 2005, following the lockout, when it was held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, and in 2020 and 2021, when the draft was held at the NHL Network studios due to the pandemic.

Commissioner Bettman expressed his anticipation for the event, stating, "I think it'll be a pretty well-viewed event both in terms of the draft itself and the use of the Sphere inside and outside using the globe. We think it'll be fun. We think it'll be dramatic and compelling."

The decision to hold the draft in Las Vegas aligns with the NHL's shift towards a decentralized draft format. This approach allows organizations to work from their team facilities instead of traveling to a centralized location. This format has been successfully implemented during the challenges posed by the pandemic and is consistent with the practices of other major sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB.

While acknowledging the charm of the old centralized format, Commissioner Bettman emphasized that the clubs favored the change. "Families are going to be there, prospects are going to be there, we're all going to be there," he stated. "But this gives the teams who thought it was important with more and more people with computers and data involved with the draft and doing that type of work on the floor, they were all more comfortable in their home environments."

In addition to discussing the upcoming draft, Commissioner Bettman addressed the ongoing discussions with the NHL Players' Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) regarding the participation of NHL players in the 2026 Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Amprezzo, Italy. While no decision has been made yet, Bettman expressed the NHL's commitment to making it happen, provided that the necessary plans and preparations are in place.

Bettman also shared the NHL's plans for a proposed in-season tournament, scheduled to commence in 2025. The list of participating nations for this tournament is yet to be finalized, but rumors suggest that the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland may be among the contenders.

The ultimate goal, according to Bettman, is to establish a cycle of events with the Olympics followed by the World Cup of Hockey every two years. The NHL has been working closely with the NHLPA towards the reintroduction of the World Cup of Hockey, following its successful return in 2016 as a preseason event held in Toronto.

As plans continue to take shape, the NHL remains focused on delivering thrilling hockey events for fans worldwide. Whether it's the highly-anticipated 2024 draft in Las Vegas or the potential participation of NHL players in the 2026 Olympics, hockey enthusiasts can look forward to a future filled with exciting competitions on and off the ice.