The City of Nashville is gearing up to host two major events in the world of hockey this year. The National Hockey League (NHL) has announced that the 2023 NHL Awards and the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft™ will both be held in Nashville in June. This marks the first time since 2006 that both events will take place in the same city.

The 2023 NHL Awards are scheduled for Monday, June 26, and will be held in Nashville for the first time ever. The NHL Awards honor the best regular-season players in various categories, including the most valuable player (Hart Trophy), outstanding goaltender (Vezina Trophy), outstanding defenseman (Norris Trophy), and outstanding rookie (Calder Trophy). The prestigious Ted Lindsay Award, presented annually to the “most outstanding player” in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), will also be awarded.

The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft™ will be hosted by the Nashville Predators and will take place at Bridgestone Arena over two days. The first round of the draft will be held on Wednesday, June 28, and televised on ESPN, Sportsnet, and TVA Sports. Rounds 2 to 7 will take place on Thursday, June 29, with the television information to be announced soon. The NHL Draft floor will be bustling with NHL club executives, scouts, and coaches, while thousands of fans and hundreds of media personnel are expected to attend. This will be the second time the Predators have hosted the NHL Draft, coinciding with the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 edition held at Bridgestone Arena.

Upper Deck, a leading trading card company, will serve as the title sponsor for the NHL Draft for the second consecutive year. Upper Deck has held NHL and NHLPA trading card licenses since the 1990-91 season and has been instrumental in shaping the trading card industry with numerous innovations. Their patent-pending Upper Deck e-Pack® platform, launched in 2016, revolutionized the collector experience by allowing them to buy, trade, and store collectibles from anywhere in the world at any time.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expressed his excitement about bringing these marquee events to Nashville, a city known for its exceptional hospitality. He praised the city, the Predators organization, and the Country Music community for their warm welcome and support in hosting NHL events in the past, including the 2003 NHL Draft, the 2016 NHL All-Star Weekend, the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, and the 2022 NHL Stadium Series game. Commissioner Bettman eagerly anticipates returning to Nashville next June to celebrate the game’s brightest stars and introduce the next generation of NHL players.

Predators President and CEO Sean Henry thanked the NHL, the City of Nashville, the State of Tennessee, and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp for their collaborative efforts in bringing the NHL Draft and NHL Awards to the city. He acknowledged the unique passion of the fans and highlighted the city’s ability to create extraordinary showcases for the sport. Henry emphasized that next June would make Nashville the center of the hockey world, allowing fans

worldwide to celebrate the best in the game and welcome its future stars in Music City.

Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, expressed his honor in bringing the NHL Draft back to Music City and the added excitement of hosting it alongside the NHL Awards. He emphasized the city’s growing partnership with the Predators and the NHL and looked forward to executing these two world-class events next summer. With the NHL events strategically placed between CMA Fest and the city’s July 4th celebration, Spyridon believes it will further enhance the city’s summer travel season.

Ticket plans, related events, and further details about the 2023 NHL Awards and the 2023 NHL Draft™ will be announced at a later date. For historical information, including past award winners and draft selections, visit records.nhl.com. Extensive coverage of the events will be provided by NHL Network and NHL.com. Fans can join the conversation and stay updated by using the official hashtags #NHLAwards and #NHLDraft on social media. To receive news and information about all of the NHL’s events, visit www.NHL.com/events.