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NHL Commissioner Not Sold on New Draft Format

The NHL will move to a decentralized draft this summer.

Jon Alfano

Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman welcomes fans to the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman welcomes fans to the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The 2025 NHL Draft will be the first of its kind, but could be the last of its kind as well.

Rather than having teams travel to one venue, the NHL will host a decentralized draft at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. In basic terms, that means prospects and some team representatives will make the trip to L.A., but teams will largely conduct business at their own buildings rather than on the venue floor. The draft will function much more like the NFL and NBA drafts with this format.

While 26 of 32 teams reportedly voted in favor of the change, some of those teams may already be having second thoughts.

The San Jose Sharks select Macklin Celebrini No. 1 overall at the 2024 NHL Draft
Jun 28, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Macklin Celebrini is selected with the 1st overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the San Jose Sharks at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

According to The Athletic's Michael Russo and Chris Johnston, teams have realized that the benefits of a decentralized format may not be what they thought they were. While they will save money from not flying staff members out to the draft venue, those savings are pretty much offset by having to fly staff members to their own buildings.

The 2025 draft will go on as planned, but NHL commissioner Gary Bettman revealed at this week's GM meetings in South Florida that the new format could be one-and-done. Bettman also shared that he's not a fan of the new format himself.

“This is what the clubs said they wanted,” Bettman said. “A number have said, ‘Well, maybe we should have the other form.’ And we’ve said, ‘Listen, we’ll go through this experience and if there’s a surge of interest to go back, we’ll put it back to the clubs again.’

“We thought we ended the old framework with a bang doing it in the Sphere (last June). … But if there’s a desire to go back because the clubs miss each other, miss being on the floor together, we’ll put it back to a vote again. We can be flexible. This is us executing the will of the clubs.”

NHL chief content officer and president of events Steve Mayer shared a presentation with the league's general managers on what this year's draft could look like. Players will meet their NHL team's staff virtually in what Mayer referred to as a "Hockey House."

While Bettman will announce the No. 1 overall pick, celebrities will be on hand to announce later selections. Last year's draft at the Las Vegas Sphere seems to have been a trial run of sorts for this idea, with celebrities such as Celine Dion and Michael Buffer announcing picks.

The decentralized format definitely has some merit, but it will be very hard to match the sheer excitement on the floor when a big trade or surprise draft pick is in the works.

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Jon Alfano
JON ALFANO

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