The 2023 NHL Draft and 2023 NHL Awards will be held in Nashville next June, the league announced Thursday. This marks the first time both events have been held in the same city since 2006, when both the NHL Awards and the NHL Draft took place in Vancouver.
Next year’s NHL Awards, which have never been held in Nashville, are scheduled for June 26.
The Nashville Predators will host the 2023 draft at Bridgestone Arena on June 28 (Round 1) and June 29 (Rounds 2-7). The Predators previously put on the draft in 2003 at their arena, which was named Gaylord Entertainment Center at the time. That draft is known as one of the greatest in NHL history and includes such future stars as Marc-Andre Fleury, Patrice Bergeron, Eric Staal, Shea Weber and many more.
“Time and time again, our teams have come together to create new ways to present the biggest showcases in our sport by allowing the unique passion of our fans to shine through,” Predators president and CEO Sean Henry said in a statement. “It’s been more than 15 years since these two events were hosted in the same city in the same year — next June, we are penciling that week with ‘Smashville as the center of the hockey world.’ It will let hockey fans worldwide celebrate the best in our game and welcome its future stars right here in the heart of Music City.”
The 2022 NHL Draft was held at the Bell Center, home of the Montreal Canadiens. Meanwhile, the 2022 NHL Awards ceremony was presented at Armature Works in Tampa.
(Photo: Christopher Hanewinckel / USA Today)
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