Los Angeles knows a thing or two about star power. On June 27 and 28, the spotlight shifts from red carpets to the draft stage as the next wave of hockey talent hopes to hear their name called at the Peacock Theater.
It’ll be hard to beat the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which was held at the Sphere, a surreal event for the NHL with some of the most memorable moments in draft history. Yes, even including the iconic Céline Dion.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Now, the NHL heads to the Peacock Theater, where its rich history blends well with the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft, which has plenty of firsts. The Utah Mammoth will make their first selection (with a team name, that is), and it will be the first decentralized draft in NHL history.
With the spotlight on the NHL in Los Angeles, Peacock Theater will be buzzing with excitement and elation.
Only Fitting For NHL Draft in Star-Filled Los Angeles
Los Angeles has just about everything you could need, with a wide selection of beaches, two NHL clubs, and plenty of other professional sports teams. It only makes sense that the NHL would head back to Southern California for the first time in over a decade.
“The NHL Draft is an amazing showcase of the future stars of the National Hockey League so it’s only fitting for it to be held in Los Angeles – a city filled with stars,” Steve Mayer, President, NHL Events & Content, said. “With the support of the Kings, LA Tourism and Upper Deck, the prospects and our fans can expect a first-rate event with a new look and creative approach.”
Peacock Theater being just a few blocks from where Hollywood stars walk the red carpet, it’s a picture-perfect venue and location for the NHL and the attempt to grow the game.
“We have a proud tradition of holding world-class events in our city, and we are both honored and excited to once again be hosting the NHL Draft in Los Angeles,” Kings’ president Luc Robitaille said. “We would like to thank the NHL for working with us to present this event in its latest format and showcase the future stars of our sport to our great fans and the entire hockey community.”
The last time the NHL Draft was hosted in Los Angeles in 2010, there was no shortage of talent, with Taylor Hall, Tyler Seguin, and Erik Gudbranson highlighting the top three picks. And now, 15 years later, the NHL returns with a new format and a state-of-the-art venue: Peacock Theater, which isn’t shy about hosting large-scale events.
Peacock Theater Is No Stranger to Big Moments
Situated beside Crypto.com Arena, the Los Angeles Convention Center, and the pulse of downtown, Peacock Theater seats just over 7,000 people, but its hosted events are far larger in stature.
Over the years, Peacock Theater has become the go-to destination for some of the most high-profile nights in downtown Los Angeles. Recently, it has hosted the Emmy Awards, ESPYs, American Music Awards, MTV Movie Awards, and The Game Awards, and the NHL Draft continues that trend.
Similar to the Sphere in 2024, Peacock Theater will feel much less like the traditional sports arena where the NHL has often gone for the NHL Draft and more like a star-studded showcase, which fits the NHL’s evolving presentation goals.
Since 1980, only five NHL Drafts have taken place outside of traditional arenas: the Toronto Convention Center in 1985, the Westin Hotel in Ottawa in 2005, NHL Network Studios in 2020 and 2021 (both held remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and the 2024 Draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
With history being made, Peacock Theater will be ready to rock on June 27 and 28.
First Decentralized Draft in NHL History: What to Expect?
Something that set the NHL apart from the rest of the pro sports leagues in North America was the way it conducted its draft. The draft, which typically takes place shortly after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final, is the place to be, but this year it’ll feel a little different.
In the past, all general managers, coaches, scouts, and even some players were in attendance during the draft. Just like in 2023, when Chicago Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson was walking in downtown Nashville and was interviewed despite the interviewer not knowing who he was. Moments like that won’t happen this year, with the NHL preparing for its first decentralized draft in history.
For those wondering, we also won’t be seeing the fourth edition of the Mammoth’s (formerly the Arizona Coyotes) suits. The team has dressed identically on the draft floor each of the past three years.
This decentralized format is going to be interesting, and there are already talks that it’ll be a one-and-done. It seemed like the draft was one of the handful of things the NHL got right, and now it’ll be similar to the NFL Draft.
“A number of them said maybe we should (change back),” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “I said, ‘Listen, we’ll go through this experience and if there’s a surge of interest to go back, we’ll put it back to the clubs again.’ We ended the old framework with a bang doing it in the Sphere (in Las Vegas), and if the sense is we’d rather be together… This is us executing the will of the clubs.”
With the combination of a new venue and new format, the NHL will experience many firsts, but if we’ve learned anything, Bettman doesn’t run away from this kind of stuff; he runs toward it.
2025 NHL Draft Rapidly Approaching
It seems like yesterday the Stanley Cup Playoffs kicked off, but now we’re already in the early portions of June, with teams eagerly awaiting the 2025 NHL Draft. The draft, led by Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, and James Hagens, will have plenty of surprises come draft day, and Peacock Theater will be the place to be, as it’s no stranger to monumental events like this.
