Top prospects eager for ‘really special’ NHL draft at The Sphere
One thing stood out to Sam Dickinson when he arrived in Las Vegas.
It wasn’t the city itself. It wasn’t even The Sphere, where the NHL draft will be held Friday and Saturday.
“The sun,” said Dickinson, a presumed top-10 pick. “It is hot.”
Temperatures reaching 110 degrees will do that to you.
The weather will not deter the prospects’ excitement this weekend as they begin their NHL careers.
Their faces will be front and center on a 160,000-square-foot LED screen in the first live televised event at The Sphere. Dickinson is one of many talented defensemen who could see his face there soon after the draft starts.
“There’s a little bit of everything. All of it is a pretty surreal feeling and experience to go through,” Dickinson said. “All of it has been a challenge and it’s something I’ve never gone through before. A lot of it has been relying on guys who have been through it before and that I trust.”
Dickinson was one of a number of prospects that participated in a youth hockey clinic at City National Arena on Wednesday with about 45 boys and girls.
It was a good reminder for the future pros that they used to be in those kids’ skates once. And it had to inspiring for the kids, who can now dream of being the next Macklin Celebrini after seeing him in person.
Celebrini, the Boston University center and presumed first overall pick, was crowded by microphones and cameras Wednesday. It may have been a sign of things to come when the San Jose Sharks kick off the draft by calling his name.
Friday will be Celebrini’s first time at The Sphere. He, like most of his peers, have yet to see what the presentation and production will look like.
It’ll certainly be a unique experience, he said.
“I feel like it’s going to be really special. From everything I’ve heard about it, they say it’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Celebrini said. “I’m super excited for it. I’m excited to see it in person.”
The Sharks hold the top pick for the first time in franchise history. They won the right to take Celebrini at the NHL’s draft lottery in May.
The 18-year-old scored 64 points in 38 games last season and helped the Terriers reach the Frozen Four. He also became the youngest winner of the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in college hockey.
“Excitement, for sure,” Celebrini said. “Grateful that I am where I’m at and the opportunity that I’ve been given.”
The draft should be a spectacle given its venue. It is also expected to be the last of its kind.
A majority of NHL teams voted in October to decentralize the draft. That means teams won’t have their own tables on the draft floor moving forward and announce their picks in-person. Instead, they’ll make their selections remotely like the Raiders do from their Henderson headquarters in the NFL.
The Knights will at least get to go out as hosts if this is the final year of the draft’s current format.
They hold the 19th overall pick Friday, though their only picks Saturday are No. 180, No. 197 and No. 212. That doesn’t mean they won’t be busy.
The Knights still have six unrestricted free agents they can negotiate with before the market opens Monday. That includes the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner in right wing Jonathan Marchessault.
The Knights got plenty of business done at last year’s draft. They traded right wing Reilly Smith to the Pittsburgh Penguins and signed left wing Ivan Barbashev to a five-year, $25 million contract extension the night of the first round.
Goaltender Adin Hill signed a two-year, $9.8 million extension the day after the draft.
Trades and signings are just one set of fireworks expected over the weekend. There will also be the young players that will sit in the stands and wait for the life-changing moment when they get summoned to the stage.
“Until it happens, it’s hard to describe what it’s going to be like,” said center Michael Hage, a projected first-round pick. “You’re just kind of winging it. You hope to hear your name called and if it does happen, it’ll be really special.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
