NHL postpones 2020 draft at the Bell Centre, amid COVID-19 pandemic

NEW YORK -- The NHL has postponed three of its events in June, including the 2020 draft.

The league announced on Wednesday that it was temporarily halting its scouting combine, awards ceremony and draft that were scheduled for June amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It did not provide new dates for the events.

The @NHL has announced the postponements of the 2020 NHL Scouting Combine, the 2020 Bridgestone NHL Awards and the 2020 NHL Draft. https://t.co/m0mXPAyIhN #NHLCombine #NHLDraft #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/iWZjW1Yw1f

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 25, 2020

With the NHL season suspended since March 12, the postponement of these events did not come as a surprise.

The draft -- a highlight for fans of teams going through the rebuilding process -- was scheduled for June 26 and 27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, while the combine was set to kick off the month in Buffalo, N.Y., from June 1 to 6. The NHL awards were to go June 18 in Las Vegas.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on March 25, 2020.

• 

  Montreal Canadiens representatives work on their third round select of the NHL hockey draft, Saturday, June 24, 2017, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)