Montreal Canadiens will host 2022 NHL Draft with fans in attendance

The National Hockey League announced today that the Montreal Canadiens will host the NHL Draft next year, with fans in attendance.

The Habs were initially set to host the draft in 2020, which was ultimately transferred into a virtual event due to COVID-19 regulations. Similar circumstances prevented the 2021 draft from being held in person as well.

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Now, after two years of waiting, Montreal will get their chance to host the event for the first time since 2009.

“We are proud to announce that, once again, we are conducting our Draft in front of the great fans of the Montreal Canadiens,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “Montreal, the site of the first NHL Draft in 1963, is a wonderful place to bring the NHL family together and to focus on the future of our game as our Clubs call the names of top prospects from around the world. We also thank Geoff Molson and the entire Canadiens organization for their cooperation and support while we needed to conduct the Draft remotely the past two years.”

Throughout the years, the draft was conducted in various Montreal hotels, the league office in Montreal, as well as the historic Montreal Forum from 1963-1984.

Ticket plans, related events, and other details pertaining to the 2022 NHL Draft, which will take place July 7-8, will be announced at a later date.

It’s official, the 2022 NHL Draft will take place in Montreal on July 7 and 8!https://t.co/EIK91D1iVV

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 17, 2021

The news comes after Montreal was recently subject to criticism following their selection of Logan Mailloux in the first round of the 2021 draft.

Team owner Geoff Molson later apologized for drafting the 18-year-old defenceman despite his request that no team select him after he was fined by Swedish authorities last year after pleading guilty to charges related to sharing a photo of a woman performing a sexual act

This week, Groupe CH, the Canadiens parent company announced initiatives of its Respect and Consent Action Plan that involves measures aimed at the “internal environment of Groupe CH as well as the external and community environment.”