UPDATE (9:55 AM 3/30/17) – We’re being told that plans on the NHL Awards Show are still fluid, which will impact the Golden Knights Expansion Draft reveal.
Multiple sources indicated weeks ago that The Park Theatre would be used to house the Awards with T-Mobile Arena being the home to the Expansion Draft reveal. Now, it looks like they are considering putting both events together at T-Mobile. Nothing is confirmed on either the Awards or the Expansion reveal at this time.
If the Awards show coincides in the same building with the Expansion reveal, there will almost certainly be a ticket price to get in.
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And just like that, the Expansion Draft protection list saga is over, and the good guys win.
NHL has concluded Protected and Available Lists WILL be made public and distributed to media simultaneously with distribution to teams.
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) March 29, 2017
BREAKING: Protected and available player lists for the Vegas expansion draft WILL be made public and released likely on June 18, per NHL.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) March 29, 2017
Those lists are set to be submitted to the NHL by 2:00 P.M. PT on Saturday, June 17th. Vegas then has three days to get their 30 selections in, and they will then be revealed in a nationally televised, free to attend event at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday June 21st.
The general managers spoke out against the lists being made public, and The Creator even said he prefers they remain secret until the reveal on the 21st.
After a lot of internal discussion following the General Managers meeting, we determined it would be best to disclose those lists publicly. One of our guiding principles from the start of this process was to prioritize transparency, and certainly here, keeping the lists private would not have promoted that particular objective. –Bill Daly, NHL Deputy Commissioner to NHL.com
But cooler heads prevailed and the world will get to play “armchair McPhee” and pick their 30 from the list of available players right along with the Vegas GM.
Man, June is going to be fun.
RJ
This is probably for the best, but I saw both sides of this issue. We are going to Monday-morning-GM McPhee for who he selects (and who he doesn’t) for the rest of his career now. Also, it will be instantly clear whether we are going to try to put the most competitive team on the ice, or if we are going to tank. I’m sure Foley and McPhee and McKrimmon will say all the right things about competitors blah blah blah, but if they draft a AHL quality team to barely clear the cap floor we will know that money, not winning is talking.
Phisig150
Team needs to be fiscally responsible and maintain cap flexibility for the future. If the team takes on a bunch of crap contracts on now to appease win now fans I’ll be as disappointed as you will be with our potential AHL roster. Just give me one enforcer type that can cause havok and chaos and strike fear in the heart’s of our opponents and I’ll be happy. I just want my #47 Healey Jersey. Doesn’t seem to be to much to ask. Patience. Build through the entry draft. Trust the Process.
Phisig150
Nooooooooo!!!! I just read Calgary signed my boy Healey. What the f&#* McPhee???? !!!
Dwayne Lucyk
If the Minnesota Wild leave local Las Vegas resident Jason Zucker unprotected, I think he would he be a good potential candidate selection to finish off his NHL career as the first captain of the Vegas Golden Knights. If so, after he retires, he would also be a great ambassador to develop hockey in Las Vegas at the grassroots level. At the very least, it would be a good public relations move.
A Fan
Yes, Jason Zucker would be a great choice.