This is the 10th time the NHL Awards will be held in Las Vegas but the first time at Mandalay Bay Events Center, which has room for more fans and a larger show. This event will be open to at least 6,500 fans, at least 5,000 more than the 2018 show.
Tickets go on sale to the general public Thursday at 1 p.m. ET at nhl.com/awardstickets.
"We just wanted to up the energy level," NHL chief content officer and executive vice president Steve Mayer said at a news conference before the Vegas Golden Knights played the San Jose Sharks in Game 4 of the Western Conference First Round at T-Mobile Arena. "We just felt like it was a great opportunity to just expand the whole show, because in that building the stage is bigger, the surroundings are bigger, and there's more opportunity to do things from a production standpoint. So it just adds to the overall bigness of the program."
Mayer said the NHL plans to honor Ted Lindsay, the namesake of the Ted Lindsay Award, which goes to the most outstanding player as voted by members of the NHL Players' Association. The Hockey Hall of Famer died March 4 at age 93.
"I think that's going to mean a lot to the players in the room," NHLPA divisional player rep Steve Webb said.
But the event, broadcast live by NBCSN and Sportsnet at 8 p.m. ET, will have a light touch too. Mayer said the host will be a comedian, and there will be several familiar faces.
"Our presenter list is going to be new and different," Mayer said. "There's a lot of new celebrities that are going to be coming on, and we'll start announcing all that in the coming weeks."
Finalists for each award will be announced daily starting Wednesday with the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward.
The NHL Awards have been held previously in Las Vegas at the Palms Hotel (2009-11), Encore at Wynn Las Vegas (2012, 2014), MGM Grand Garden Arena (2015), The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (2016, 2018) and T-Mobile Arena (2017).
In 2017, the show combined with the NHL Expansion Draft. Last year, it celebrated the Golden Knights' inaugural season and the impact they made after the mass shooting on the Strip on Oct. 1, 2017.
"We saw what the Vegas Golden Knights meant to this community," Mayer said. "After the tragic events of Oct. 1, they helped this city recover. And that was something that we took note of.
"To be able to go to Mandalay Bay, to go to a bigger venue, to have those fans and this community who love hockey so much be able to appreciate our show is something we look forward to.
"The show has grown over the years to become more than just handing out awards. We're really interested in showing our fans how the NHL and our sport is so meaningful in all communities."
