Significant changes coming to the NHL Entry Draft starting in 2025
Some significant are coming for the National Hockey League's Entry Draft starting in 2025.
The National Hockey League's Entry Draft is going to look a little different going forward starting in 2025 as they decentralize things, meaning that NHL teams, General Managers, Scouts and other executives are no longer at the venue.
At the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, which will reportedly be held at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, the event will be more streamlined and for fans who enjoy watching every year, hopefully it won't take as long in terms of teams using their full allotted to make their selection.
National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman will be announcing each draft selection after they submitted by the team, likely electronically and the prospects will still be in attendance and have media availabilities prior to heading to the city that picked them.
The NHL Entry Draft may now feel a little similar to the ones held virtually in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. Each team stayed in their respective cities at either their arena or practice facility, which will be the case going forward. However, as mentioned, the NHL, some executives, media and prospects will all be in the location the draft will be held.
It should be an entertaining season for scouts and fans who follow the draft. Boston College freshman James Hagens is the projected first-overall pick, with Porter Martone, Anton Frondell, Matthew Schaefer and Ivan Ryabkin all strong possibilites to join the American forward in the top-five next June.
| POLL | ||
Do you like the new decentralized draft format or do you prefer how it's been held for years? | ||
| I like the new decentralized format | 45 | 26 % |
| I prefer the old format | 128 | 74 % |
| List of polls | ||
