NHL Plans 2024 Draft Event At Sphere In Late June; NHL Draft Will Be First Sports Event Inside Popular Venue East Of Strip
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
The National Hockey League was the first major sports league to plant a flag in the Las Vegas market in 2017 and now it will be the first sports entity to stage an event inside the Sphere in Las Vegas as NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league will stage its 2024 Draft at the much-talked-about venue June 28 and 29.
Bettman dropped the news Tuesday at the NHL Board of Governors meeting in Seattle.
The Sphere was incorporated into the Las Vegas Grand Prix race Nov. 18 as Formula One race cars whizzed by the venue just east of the Strip and the Venetian. Grandstands were set up just outside the 17,600-seat Sphere known for its creative interior immersive experiences and round exterior video designs.
After the Sphere opened Sept. 29 with a U2 concert performance, UFC boss Dana White said he booked the Sphere for a UFC fight show that will be staged in September.
Now, it looks as if the NHL beat White to the punch of holding the first sports event inside the Sphere.
Bettman said holding the NHL Draft at the Sphere will be a “dramatic” experience and help garner more attention to the annual event.
