NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced Monday that KeyBank Center will host the 2026 NHL Draft this June.
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The NHL draft is returning to Buffalo.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula announced Monday that the 2026 NHL Draft will be hosted at KeyBank Center.
The draft, scheduled for June 26 and 27, will return to its decentralized format that was first seen at the 2025 draft in Los Angeles.
This will be the fifth time that the city will host the draft. They most recently hosted the draft in 2016, and also hosted the event in 1998 and 1991.
Buffalo has been the host of the NHL Scouting Combine since 2015, which is held annually at LECOM Harborcenter.
The league said that information on tickets, additional fan events such as concerts, and other details will be announced at a later date. Visit nhl.com for more information.