Gary Bettman to announce each first-round pick of NHL draft - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — When the NHL draft occurs this summer, expect a lot more of Gary Bettman.

On Saturday, the league formally announced that the 2025 NHL draft will take place June 27-28 at L.A. Live's Peacock Theatre, confirming a report from ESPN's Greg Wyshynski in December. And Bettman — the NHL's commissioner since 1993 — will be center stage as he is set to announce each first-round pick for the first time.

«Hopefully there won't be too many hard [names] to pronounce,» Bettman said before the Los Angeles Kings hosted the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday night.

The draft will be the first for hockey to use the decentralized model that has been standard for the NFL and NBA for decades, with team staffs participating virtually from their home cities. Bettman has been a proponent of the format change.

The commissioner and top prospects will still be in attendance for the event, with Bettman's role expanding beyond that of master of ceremonies for the first round. Teams had traditionally announced their own selections, but that role will now pass to the 72-year-old Bettman, long a lightning rod for boos whenever he gets on a live microphone in front of hockey fans.

«And remember, the clubs asked for this,» Bettman said. «I wasn't looking for any more exposure. I have more than enough. But this is what the clubs told us they wanted, and we're going to try it. And we'll see after this year whether or not everybody likes it better.»

Bettman appreciated the personal touch each organization put on its announcement, pointing out how they will be «thanking somebody at home, honoring somebody, remembering somebody.» But most teams concluded it was easier to navigate the draft from their home offices after two years of holding it