The 2024 National Hockey League Draft will take place in Las Vegas on June 28-29.
The decision was made official Tuesday by the NHL Board of Governors, whose members are meeting in Seattle this week as part of their annual meeting. Commissioner Gary Bettman made the announcement during the day.
The selection session will be held at the Sphere, a new amphitheater recently built for shows and events of all kinds. Bettman said contracts still need to be finalized, but the league is very excited about the possibilities of holding the draft.
“I think it will be a well-watched event, both in terms of the selection itself and the viral use of the Sphere inside and outside the globe. So we think it will be fun. We think it will be spectacular and interesting,” Bettman said.
Where the final draft will be held before the league moves to a decentralized model — where teams will remain in their home markets — was Bettman’s biggest news.
The league also said the salary cap would increase to $87.7 million for the 2024-25 season. The idea of an international mini-tournament in February 2025, bringing together four countries, as a prelude to the 2026 Olympic Games, is progressing. But there are still issues to be resolved between the NHL, the International Federation and the International Olympic Committee before reaching an agreement that would allow players to participate in the next Olympics.
Bettman said he was particularly concerned about the progress of construction of the hockey arena and whether it would be ready in time before the Olympics.
