Incredible. Amazing. Unreal. That was the consensus on Friday about the opening night of the NHL Draft as the US$2.3 billion Sphere wowed draft picks, general managers and fans.
The vibrant 18,000-seat building that is made up of a curving 270-degree screen that boasts 16k resolution LED panels wrapping around its orb-like structure, flashed brilliant visuals of the draft picks and team logos throughout the night.
“The atmosphere, the spectacle of it, you know, standing on the stage and making picks and looking up and seeing just that wall of people was pretty unique,” Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said. “After our third pick, we were waiting for Marek [Vanacker] to get down there and I took a picture because I just wanted to make sure that I documented that view because it was so incredible.”
Photo: AFP
The draft marked the first sports-themed event inside the venue since it opened in September last year.
“I didn’t really know what to expect at first, but I was able to see the Sphere,” No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celibrini said. “And I mean, it was amazing when I saw it and it’s even better when it’s all set up for this event, but no, it’s a really cool experience. It’s amazing.”
Sixth-overall pick Tij Iginla said that the Sphere was nothing like he had ever seen before, and was taken aback when made aware that his face might or might not have been displayed on the constantly shifting graphics display on the outside of the venue, just as the 2024 NHL Draft logo was all week leading up to the event.
Photo: Joe Camporeale-USA Today
“Yeah, that’d be cool,” Iginla said. “I would be interested to see a video what the outside looked like through the process.”
Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said he was extremely proud, as the host team, to bring the final NHL Draft in its current format to Las Vegas.
“Been to many, many drafts over a long time and this was just so unique, so different, so superior for the players and their families,” McCrimmon said. “It had to be fascinating, and just really blown away by how good it was. Knew it would be and was impressed more so even than what I would have expected.”
Boston University center Celebrini was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the first pick.
The 18-year-old Canadian from suburban Vancouver was the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award as the top US college player last season, when he scored 32 goals and assisted on 32 more in 38 games for the Terriers.
The Sharks had the worst record in the NHL last season and won the NHL Draft Lottery to gain the top overall selection for the first time in the California club’s history.
Additional reporting by AFP
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