LAS VEGAS — Next month’s NHL Draft will be held at the iconic Sphere in Las Vegas, league commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday.
The draft will be held June 28-29 at the Sphere, which has 18,600 seats in a 360-degree LED experience. It will be the first live televised event to be held at the venue, which opened with a 40-show residency by U2.
“The 2024 Draft will utilize the Sphere’s cutting-edge technology,” Bettman said. “This will truly be a unique draft unlike any other.”
The venue’s exterior was used extensively during the November’s Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix and Super Bowl LVIII. However, no live shows were hosted inside the $2.3 billion facility.
The Vegas Golden Knights will serve as the event’s host. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday at Ticketmaster.com.
Bettman made the announcement during the NHL Draft Lottery, which was televised on ESPN. He had mentioned last month the league was in negotiations Madison Square Garden Company, which owns the the Sphere.
“Hosting the 2024 NHL Draft at Sphere perfectly captures Las Vegas’ evolution as the Sports and Entertainment Capital of the World,” Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said in a statement. “Las Vegas has been a hockey town since the puck dropped at the first Golden Knights game in 2017. As the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, we couldn’t be more thrilled that the NHL chose Las Vegas and this truly innovative venue to welcome its next generation of players.”
The San Jose Sharks won the draft lottery, earning the right to likely select Boston University’s Macklin Celebrini. The Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks finished Nos. 2 and 3 in the lottery.
