Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images
The Las Vegas Sphere “wowed” players, GMs and fans at
the NHL Draft Friday as it “flashed brilliant visuals of the draft picks and team logos throughout the night,” according to W.G. Ramirez of the AP. Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said, “The atmosphere, the spectacle of it, you know, standing on the stage and making picks and looking up and seeing just that wall of people was pretty unique.” Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said that he was “extremely proud,” as the host team, to bring the potential “final NHL Draft in its current format” to Las Vegas. McKrimmon: “Been to many, many drafts over a long time and this was just so unique, so different, so superior for the players and their families” (
AP, 6/29). Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said, “Outstanding draft. Just the visual stuff, the reaction from people, the way some of the picks were presented. I thought it was more entertaining than any other draft we’ve been at or seen” (
CP, 6/30). THE ATHLETIC's Sean Gentille wrote “everyone involved with the first round -- as a live, in-person event for the people who matter most -- nailed it completely. The league. The venue. The graphics teams.” He added the draft was a “night for the people in the building.” Gentille: “Whether Friday night turns out to be a crossover event, a template for future events or a really cool one-off, it was worth it" (
THE ATHLETIC, 6/29).
RELATED: Success of NHL Draft may delay decentralization
GOOD THINGS DON'T LAST: THE AP's John Wawrow noted the league is “planning to shift from its current setup” to one with the draft being done by teams “remotely from their headquarters” next year. While plans “are not complete,” Wawrow wrote “the expectation is the league will still hold some type of draft celebration in one of its markets for television purposes and to draw fans, and featuring its top prospects, much like the NFL draft is conducted.” Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said of doing the draft remotely, “from a club standpoint, it’s excellent, because you can talk freely ... and there’s a lot more room to spread out. ... The negatives are, there’s always a lot more trades made in person.” Wawrow reported Waddell’s “biggest concern” in drafting remotely is “having fewer prospects -- especially those projected to go in the later rounds -- in attendance.” Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said that there is “nothing like having the entire NHL community together under one roof.” However, Wawrow noted Treliving “voted in favor of going remote because of scheduling constraints” with the start of the free agency period “almost immediately following the draft” (
AP, 6/29).
