Decentralized draft: it’s (really) time for the GMs to think of the fans

Dose
Crédit:

The latest NHL draft was rather… ordinary. For the first time, the league opted for a decentralized format, so that instead of all 32 teams being in one place, they were in their own facilities.

The result? It took forever… and made for some uncomfortable moments to watch.

At the conclusion of the draft, just about everyone expected a return to a centralized formula for the next amateur auction. We knew the whole thing would be put to a new vote by the 32 general managers, and we figured they’d come to their senses…

Or not.

We learned this week that, in the end, the vote was in favor of a return to the decentralized draft. In fact, according to Darren Dreger, a “strong majority” of votes were in favor of another decentralized draft.

For the teams, of course, a decentralized draft is interesting. It allows all members of the organization to get down to business, which saves money (in travel).

For the fans, however, it’s a different story. As we’ve seen this year, the draft has lost some of its charm, not least because we’ve been deprived of some great moments between the youngsters and their new team.

It’s all very well to say that we’re trying to find ways to make the pace faster (although, quite frankly, it would be hard to do worse than 2025): the experience is still more beige.

The centralized draft was something that set the NHL apart from all other leagues. It made for a more dynamic and, above all, more enjoyable event.

But clearly, general managers don’t care about the fan experience. And that’s a real, real shame.

Overtime

– Good listening.

– The Cup in Sherbrooke.

– Ouf.