Gary Bettman and NHL admit major mistake with Draft and make correction

The NHL announced the decision to hold a decentralized draft last season - meaning NHL teams or prospects will gather in one arena, it will be held virtually.

According to a new report by Elliotte Friedman, everyone inside the NHL has already realized they made a mistake, and the Draft will return to an in-person event next season.

NHL teams pushed for a decentralized draft during the COVID seasons, and it's something other sports leagues have implemented as well. It would allow teams to stay in their war rooms at home to make critical draft decisions, but having an online draft has major drawbacks too.

First off, the NHL is bound to lose revenue they would've otherwise made at the draft this season. Fans buy tickets to attend what can be a franchise-altering event, and plenty more watch on TV. This is entirely erased with a virtual draft, and the TV product will surely be worse too.

Not only that, but GMs, Scouts, Coaches, and Prospects all won't be gathering in one building. There's immense value in the conversations that take place on draft weekend, and the decentralized draft also entirely eliminates that possibility.

Speaking in a recent interview, Bettman revealed that NHL teams insisted on this change, but hinted that he despised the idea - and believes teams are changing their minds too.

There were literally no benefits to a decentralized draft other than saving on travel costs and using a desktop instead of a laptop.

It was a ridiculous change by the NHL, but thankfully, they didn't even have to hold the event to realize their error.