NHL Entry Draft set for Vancouver in June 2019

The NHL Entry Draft will take place at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on June 21 and 22, 2019.

The event comes to the city at a time when the Canucks are celebrating the start of their 50th season in the NHL, and in the same year that Vancouver is playing host to the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.

Coverage of the NHL draft on Globalnews.ca:

2:20 Vancouver Canucks will host NHL draft for third time at Rogers Arena

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“Representatives from all of our teams and the league office will join hundreds of prospects, family members, broadcasters and international media to make Vancouver the centre of the hockey universe for the several days that encompass the NHL draft,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said at a Wednesday news conference alongside Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini, team president Trevor Linden and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.

This will mark the third time that Vancouver has hosted an NHL draft.

WATCH: Vancouver Canucks will host NHL draft for third time at Rogers Arena

2:20 Vancouver Canucks will host NHL draft for third time at Rogers Arena

The first one was held at BC Place in 1990, when the Canucks drafted Petr Nedved with the send overall pick, and Shawn Antoski with the 18th pick.

Jaromir Jagr, Keith Tkachuk and Martin Brodeur were also drafted into the NHL that year.

The city subsequently hosted the NHL draft at what was then known as GM Place in 2006, when Michael Grabner was taken with the 14th pick.

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Bettman said prospects would take part in clinics and other activities around Vancouver in the lead-up to the draft.

The commissioner also said there would be a legacy project set up in Vancouver, as he felt that “there should be a sense of permanence to our visit” when the NHL brings an event to a city.

Vancouver Giants player Bowen Byram could be one of the top five picks at the 2019 NHL draft.

Byram, a defenceman, has 23 points in 51 games in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season.