NHL looking at options for the 2020 Draft, assures Montreal another chance

The Montreal Canadiens were set to host the 2020 NHL Draft in June, but as the NHL announced yesterday, that event is
postponed due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

But as The Athletic's Pierre Lebrun learned in a phone conversation with the league's chief content officer on Thursday, the Canadiens have been assured they will have the chance to host the draft again in the next couple of years.

"We went to Montreal and they were awesome," Mayer said. "Nowadays, everyone understands that this is the way of the world (with the coronavirus)."

The executive added that Montreal will likely get a traditional draft in 2021 or 2022, as those events haven't been awarded to another franchise yet. However, he cautioned that it depends on the logistics of holding an event in Montreal at that time.

Mayer also laid out the three draft options that the league is exploring, according to Lebrun.

Firstly, there is still a possibility for a full draft event in Montreal if the season resumes early enough, but at this point, that scenario looks very unlikely.

Secondly, the league could hold a scaled-down version of the draft that features fewer team personnel and prospects, but that also depends entirely on where the world is in its fight against COVID-19.

The league is also considering having a virtual draft.

"We're looking at that as well," Mayer said. "Which is probably, you know, one of the more likely (scenarios) at this point given where we are in the world. We'd have cameras set up in every war room. Bring in as many prospects as we can. Have a team representative, etc."

Mayer cautioned that the NHL hasn't decided on any of the potential plans and will continue to look into them.

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