In the 2024 NHL draft spotlight, Ryan Kennedy and Tony Ferrari highlight Saginaw Spirit defenseman Zayne Parekh. The Sphere in Las Vegas featured prominently at the 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAyNzAwNTkwOTYxMTQwODA0/usatsi_21913632_168400847_lowres.jpg] The Sphere in Las Vegas featured prominently at the 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. The NHL decided to go big in what could be the final draft before decentralizing. Las Vegas is set to host the 2024 NHL draft at the Sphere on June 28 and 29, 2024, according to TSN's Darren Dreger [https://x.com/DarrenDreger/status/1732111360715002311?s=20]. The NHL's board of governors decided on it at their meetings in Seattle. The Sphere has a capacity of 18,600 seats and 20,000, including the floor. But it's mostly known for its innovative approach to entertainment, immersing its audience with a massive 160,000 square feet of LED display canvas indoors while also covering the exterior with programmable LED graphics. It is billed [https://www.venetianlasvegas.com/entertainment/sphere.html] as the world's largest spherical structure and has hosted U2 concerts and sci-fi and nature documentaries so far. The exterior was also prominent at the 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix in November. Most teams voted to decentralize the annual NHL draft [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-nhl-teams-vote-to-decentralize-the-draft/], where the next slate of prospects gets selected by their new franchises. Teams voiced concerns over the cost of sending staff to one location, the proximity to other teams leading to the potential for information to be leaked and the short turnaround between the draft and returning to team headquarters for free agency, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. The 2023 NHL draft took place in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena two days after the NHL Awards ceremony. The location for the 2024 award show is still to be determined, but Las Vegas hosted the NHL Awards for more than a decade up until 2020 when the playoffs were affected due to COVID-19. June 28 and 29 were also the dates of the 2023 draft, which fell on a Wednesday and Thursday. This time around, the draft returns to a more traditional schedule, with Friday featuring the first overall pick and the first round and Saturday taking care of Rounds 2 through 7. Draft discussions have long been underway on which player will be selected first in 2024. Forward Macklin Celebrini was the projected first pick [https://thehockeynews.com/news/2024-nhl-draft-rankings-the-first-watch-list] in Ryan Kennedy's initial NHL draft rankings, but wingers Cole Eiserman and Ivan Demidov are trying to make their case to go No. 1.
