2026 Draft in Buffalo: Here’s why it won’t be in Montreal

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
2026 Draft in Buffalo: Here’s why it won’t be in Montreal
Credit: Getty Images

Over the past few months, we've learned that the Canadiens wanted to bring the 2026 draft to town.

That said, the 2026 decentralized draft will not be held in Montreal after all. Instead, in a few months' time, the prospects will be going to Buffalo to be drafted.

Elliotte Friedman (32 Thoughts) confirmed this in his podcast. It will be announced next week.

Why was Buffalo chosen before Montreal? After all, after the 2022 draft, many people called for the Québécois metropolis to become THE annual draft destination.

According to Friedman, the Sabres got ahead of themselves and the Habs were a little late in the game.

We imagine the Canadiens will be able to get back on track, but 2026 would have been an ideal year. But why? Because the Sportsnet tipster said that the NHL had to choose a city that wasn't among those hosting the World Cup in the coming months.

After all, it takes city hotels for everyone. So, the NHL was cut off from several potential destinations.

It's bad enough that the NHL will have a challenge if the Stanley Cup is held in a World Cup city, but adding the draft on top of that would simply have been a bad idea.

Buffalo is the perfect place, say the city's detractors, since nothing ever happens there.

Of course, for fans of the World Cup in Montreal, seeing that soccer games won't be held in the city and that Montreal skipped the National League draft is a double defeat.

We'll see if Geoff Molson can get his act together in the future. In my opinion, if he wants the draft, he'll get it in the end.


overtime

– Hello.

– Of note.

– Interesting.

– The Avalanche wanted Artemi Panarin back in the day.

– Who will be the MVP?

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