Revisiting a topic from last month when I dropped the idea of Tampa hosting the 2012 NHL draft, word comes from Triblive.com that the Tampa Bay area is indeed in the running to host the event:
But, the Triblive article focuses on the Pittsburgh Penguins and Consol Energy Center as the leading candidate to host the event:
The city actually might be marked for the 2012 NHL Draft, though speculation on popular social-media platforms that the event is a lock to land at Consol Energy Center is inaccurate, according to the league.
″(The Penguins are) one of the teams in (the) 2012 draft bid process,″ said Jamey Horan, the NHL’s vice president of player development and event communications. ″But no decision has been made yet.″
There is no immediate timetable to announce a destination for the next NHL Draft, which is convened annually in late June. The Tampa Bay Lightning also is a leading contender to host the event.
The Penguins have not hosted the NHL Draft since 1997 at Civic Arena.
Pittsburgh can boast a longer and more prestigious NHL history, and the Penguins are one of the marquee teams in the league with some of the marquee players of the sport (hello, Sidney Crosby…). The city of Pittsburgh also has a much more temperate climate during the summer, compared to the constant heat and humidity of the Tampa Bay area.
But could the fact the Penguins have hosted another marquee event recently (the 2011 NHL Winter Classic) work against them? Would the NHL actually be wary of continuing to over-sell Pittsburgh? Doubtful, but it’s worth considering.
