NHL to Pair Its Biggest Offseason Events

(Credit: Alex Busch/Staff)

Fans of the NHL’s newest franchise now know when and where they will learn the names on the inaugural Vegas Golden Knights roster.

The expansion draft selection will be announced in conjunction with the NHL’s 2017 Awards show. The event will be held on June 21 in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena, home of the Golden Knights.

The event will be broadcast live as a two-hour television special. Fans in the United States can catch the evening’s proceedings on NBCSN. Those watching in Canada will tune in to Sportsnet. Everything will get underway at 8 p.m. ET.

Steve Mayer, NHL Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President, thinks pairing the draft with the awards show will provide fans with an opportunity unlike any other.

“We are thrilled to be in Las Vegas again for the NHL Awards,” said Mayer. “To be able to pair this perennial show with the excitement of the Expansion Draft for the Vegas Golden Knights is a unique event that we think our fans will greatly enjoy.”

Those fans interested in attending the awards show and expansion draft live will be able to purchase tickets beginning Wednesday, May 3 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for as long as they are available.

Foley: “Monumental Day”

(Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports)

Golden Knights owner Bill Foley, general manager George McPhee, and head coach Gerard Gallant will all be in the house for the Wednesday night party.

After Tuesday’s news, Foley remarked on what a historic day June 21 will be.

“June 21 will be an incredible day for the city of Las Vegas and our fans. The anticipation around the Expansion Draft has been building for months and that excitement will continue to grow as we get closer to Draft Day. By combining the draft with the NHL Awards, Golden Knights fans will get to experience a monumental day in our team’s history while enjoying one of the premier NHL events that features the game’s biggest stars.”

The expansion draft has been a source of some controversy over the course of the last several months. Initially, it appeared the NHL would not require clubs to reveal those names that would be protected from exposure to the draft. Last month the league reversed course, announcing that those names will be made available to the public.

Franchises have until 5:00 p.m. ET on June 17 to provide the league with their lists of protected players. Vegas will have until June 20 at 5:00 p.m. ET to advise the NHL of its selections.

It will be an incredibly busy week for the Golden Knights. Following the expansion draft, Vegas will turn its attention to the NHL Entry Draft. That event will be held in Chicago, Illinois on June 23 and 24. Vegas has a 10.3 percent chance of landing the top pick in the draft. They’ll learn their draft position at the NHL Draft Lottery on April 29.