NHL Awards and NHL Draft Arrive at the League's #1 Arena

The NHL Awards and NHL Draft have not been staged in the same city since 2006, when both took place in Vancouver.?

That line changes next week, as Smashville will be getting double-shifted?when?both events arrive?in Bridgestone Arena.

Hosted by country music superstar Dierks Bentley, the 2023 NHL Awards will celebrate the league’s best regular-season performances in the league's showcase event from Bridgestone Arena on TNT, Sportsnet and TVA Sports on Monday, June 26 at 7pm CT. The 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft? will also take the stage at Bridgestone Arena later in the week, with Round 1 starting Wednesday at 6pm CT and rounds 2-7 on Thursday at 10am CT.

?“Hockey plays a big part in my daily life,” Bentley said. "I’ve been to rinks all over the country with my travel hockey son. I coach his spring league games and spend hours in the local hockey store. We love watching YouTube highlight reels, the whole family loves going to Nashville Predators games and watching the Stanley Cup Final together. And, I am a proud member of a beer league team here in Nashville. To get to add 'NHL Awards Host' to this list is truly an honor."

And he's hosting in the NHL's top venue.?On the heels of its 2023 Arena of the Year accolade from Pollstar Magazine, Bridgestone Arena is No. 1 in Stadium Journey’s rankings of all 32 NHL arenas for the 2022-23 season. Bridgestone Arena earned a score of 4.86/5 on a scoring system based on a variety of criteria, including food, atmosphere, neighborhood, fan support, access and return on investment.

Bridgestone opens up even more opportunities for the NHL. Thanks to a setup that allows for a unique indoor-outdoor arrangement that the league has never utilized for these two events, NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer is excited to bring the two together.

“We're inside [Bridgestone Arena], and this is an awesome arena, but imagine if we go outside for a musical performance,” Mayer said earlier this year. “Let's go outside to hand out an award. Let's go outside and make a pick. There's no reason why we always have to do everything in one place, and I think that's what Nashville gives us the ability to do."

Nashville’s musical influence will be featured in a prominent manner, as Bentley looks forward to the opportunity to integrate it with the hockey scene that has come to life in Nashville over the last 25 years, an anniversary that will be celebrated throughout the week.

In a message to fans shortly after the announcement of the Stadium Journey?award, Nashville Predators president and CEO Sean Henry wrote:?"Not one of those [criteria] can be maximized without the dedication of our incredible staff nor without the unique relationship we share with our fans, business partners and our public/private partnerships we forged with so many."?

"Not only has hockey worked in Nashville, but it has also thrived," Stadium Journey’s David Welch wrote.

"We're going to show Nashville off," Mayer added. "When it comes to doing something unique like this, there's no better place for us to try it out than Nashville."