Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NHL Sparks Outrage with Terrible Offseason Decision Ahead of 2025-26 Season

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 2:39 PM ET

The 2025 NHL Draft was widely criticized after being slow, long and awkward, but now Gary Bettman and the NHL have made the shock decision to keep the same format for 2026.

The NHL Draft is one of the most highly anticipated events on the league calendar, but in 2025, the NHL failed mightily as they tried to switch things up for the first time in league history.

In 2025, they went to a decentralized draft, meaning that no one from the front office was present to greet their draft picks, and while there was a chance that this could be a hit, the event was widely criticized for being long and boring.

On top of that, draft picks had to have video interviews with the front office just after being picked, and with technical difficulties and very awkward moments, this made for horrendous viewing for fans.

The belief was that after this backlash, things would change for 2026, but now, TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting that things will go back to exactly the same format for next year, and unless big changes are coming, it could backfire in a big way.

It's well known that General Managers and owners in the league care more for themselves and their teams than the fans, and if there was any doubts about that, this latest ruling has personified exactly that.

Ultimately, the hope is that there can be enough changes made so that the draft can be somewhat enjoyable for fans, because if the league try to make the event the same in 2026 as it was this past season, it will be seen as nothing but a horrendous decision for the National Hockey League.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: