(Photo: Timothy T. Ludwig/Imagn Images)
Buffalo, NY — January 13, 2026 — The National Hockey League (NHL) has officially selected Buffalo, New York as the host city for the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, returning one of professional hockey’s marquee offseason events to the Great Lakes region. The draft will take place June 26 and 27 at KeyBank Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres, the league announced this week.
This marks the fourth time that Buffalo will host the NHL Draft, a rare distinction that positions the city alongside storied hockey markets in Montreal as one of the few communities repeatedly chosen for the annual event.
Draft Format and Schedule
The 2026 NHL Draft will be held over two days under the league’s continued decentralized format, which debuted in 2025. Under this approach, teams make their picks from their own home markets while prospects, media, and fans gather in the host city for festivities, interviews, and fan events.
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June 26: First round of the draft at 7 p.m. ET
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June 27: Rounds 2 through 7 beginning at 10 a.m. ET
National broadcasters including ESPN, ESPN+, and Sportsnet are expected to carry the event.
League Praise for the Host City
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman praised Buffalo’s long‑standing hockey culture and described the city as an ideal choice for returning the draft to the Great Lakes region.
“This is a great sports town, a great hockey market,” Bettman said at a news conference announcing the selection. “Fans are knowledgeable and passionate. We’ve got a great organization with great ownership. All the factors that you would take into account, the boxes are checked in a first‑class way.”
Sabres owner Terry Pegula and team executives joined Bettman for the announcement, underscoring the franchise’s deep ties to the event and the surrounding community.
A Boost for Local Economy and Hockey Community
Hosting the draft is expected to draw significant attention — and economic activity — to Buffalo and Western New York. Hotels, restaurants, and retail businesses in the downtown and waterfront areas could see substantial increases in visitor traffic as an estimated thousands of fans, scouts, and media descend on the region.
Local reports indicate that the event could bring millions of dollars in economic impact to the area, as well as increased visibility for Buffalo’s hockey culture and Great Lakes‑area identity.
Buffalo has been home to the NHL Scouting Combine since 2015 — where draft prospects undergo testing and interviews — and the city’s proximity to the U.S.‑Canada border makes it a convenient and symbolic location for fans from both sides of the region.
A Tradition with Deep Roots
Buffalo previously hosted the draft in 1991, 1998, and 2016, including the 2016 draft that saw Auston Matthews go No. 1 overall — a selection that has since helped define the modern era of the NHL’s talent pipeline.
In 2025, the draft was held in Los Angeles under the new decentralized model, making Buffalo the second city this decade — and first in the Great Lakes region — to welcome the event under its updated structure.
What to Watch in 2026
Championship hopefuls and draft prognosticators are already watching the NHL Central Scouting midterm rankings, where top prospects from junior and college leagues — including leading names from the **Western Hockey League and U.S. college teams — are jockeying for positioning ahead of the draft.
Among the young players expected to attract early attention is standout forward Gavin McKenna, widely projected to be the top overall pick in the 2026 draft class.
Buffalo’s Continued Hockey Legacy
For Buffalo, known affectionately by many fans as a passionate “hockey town,” hosting the draft reinforces the city’s enduring connection to the sport. With a long history of developing players, supporting grassroots hockey, and celebrating the game’s traditions, the event is both a showcase and a celebration of the sport’s future.
As Sabres and NHL fans alike set their sights on June, Buffalo prepares to welcome the hockey world back to the Great Lakes region for one of the sport’s most anticipated events of the year.