Thanks for the response.
I live in Vegas, so for me it's fully just about whether the draft is actually worth it (and whether I can get the time from work off).
Love is totally worth it. I've seen it a few times. Enjoyed it quite a bit. But I'm also a sucker for most shows
4pm local start time for the first round can be a bit rough if you're wrapping up the work day to get over there. And it's kinda fun to loiter beforehand since some prospects (and their families) might be outside waiting for the doors to open like everybody else. One of my memories from before the 2010 Draft was seeing Derek Forbort being annoyed with having to take pictures with family members.
One thing I definitely miss when attending is the commentary during the first round. It's better now that it's three minutes between picks rather than five, but there can be a lot of empty time between picks. When I attended the 2012 NBA Draft at Prudential Center, they simulcast the ESPN coverage. But at least with the NHL Drafts I've attended, we got nothing in the arena. 2011 was probably the worst since Canadian teams had 11 first rounders and TSN had to interview each one which was a massive speed bump. Most of the time the three minute counter is artificial and the teams already entered in their selection, they're just waiting for the green light from the TV people to walk to the stage.
Day 2 is much more rapid fire. Since the Devils don't have a 4th rounder, I'd probably plan on doing a lap after we make our 3rd round pick and probably checking the view from the upper deck.
If you can't make Day 1, I'd definitely recommend to check out Day 2. Tickets are much cheaper and getting photos/autographs tends to be easier since not as many folks attend. Generally the vibe is a little bit more relaxed too. The Stanley Cup will probably be on display and the Day 2 line would be much shorter.
And it might be fun to hit up a nearby restaurant after the first round. In 2010, my buddy and I went to the steakhouse across the street from Staples Center. Charlie Coyle and his parents were the party in front of us. Shea Weber (and some Nashville staffers) were behind us.
I'm also planning on attending the Awards show the night before at the Fontainebleau. Hopefully I don't turn into the pushy adult trying to get the Hughes brothers to autograph my Team USA jersey.
This will be the last draft where all the GMs + scouts + other hockey ops folks attend in person. During the two pandemic drafts, they realized they could run the draft like the NBA/NFL and not have to fly 20+ people and get them hotel rooms.
Starting next year, the teams will stay home but it's expected that each team would send a notable alumnus or current player to announce the pick / welcome the prospect. So instead of Tom Fitzgerald and a small legion of scouts being on stage to get a photo with a prospect, it might end up being somebody like Patrik Elias and/or our owner instead.
We'll see if this leads to a drop in middle round prospects attending. One thing that is different about the NHL draft compared to the NBA/NFL is that most (if not all) of the top 60 guys attend along with a decent amount of middle round picks. Occasionally you'll hear a big roar for a late round guy; Dustin Wolf was expected to go higher than the 7th, but he had a big contingent from his junior team in Everett make the drive up to Vancouver in 2019. With the NBA/NFL, maybe ten guys might show up while most would rather be at home and not risk the awkward Aaron Rodgers / Brady Quinn drop in the green room.
In 2011, my friend and I snuck into the prospects section and that added to the experience. It's one thing to see it on TV but it was interesting to see Brandon Saad ten feet away sweating out the last few picks in the first round. I was unknowingly sitting among Phliip Danault's group, so when he got picked everybody jumped up and started celebrating. For some reason I was suddenly clapping as if we were all on the Price is Right or something.