LOS ANGELES (AP) — When the NHL draft comes to Los Angeles this summer, expect a lot more Gary Bettman.
The 2025 NHL draft will take place June 27 and 28 at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theatre, the league announced Saturday, and Bettman — the NHL’s commissioner since 1993 — will be center stage as he is set to announce each first-round pick for the first time.
“Hopefully there won’t be too many hard (names) to pronounce,” Bettman said before the Los Angeles Kings hosted Utah on Saturday night.
The draft will be the first for hockey to use the decentralized model that has been standard for the NFL and NBA for decades, with team staffs participating virtually from their home cities.
Bettman and top prospects will…