What the Vegas Golden Knights and the NHL can learn from WNBA Draft

The WNBA made the once far-fetched idea of a virtual draft a reality last week and there are plenty of lessons the Vegas Golden Knights and the rest of the NHL can learn from their counterparts.

As we are all well aware, the sporting landscape has been completely altered by the COVID-19 pandemic with the Vegas Golden Knights and the NHL on lockdown, along with a bevy of other sports all over the world.

Apart from there being no live sports, though, COVID-19 has also thrown a plethora of key events on the sporting calendar into chaos too.

The NFL had to postpone the 2020 Draft in Vegas and make it a virtual one, while that is the road the NHL is probably heading down too after being forced to postpone the 2020 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal.

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While no new date has been set for the draft as of yet, reports indicate that the NHL intend to still hold it in June and will follow in the footsteps of the NFL in terms of everyone conducting their business from home.

As a result, the National Hockey League and the Golden Knights should study the WNBA Draft which took place on April 17.

While the headlines revolved around phenom talent Sabrina Ionescu, who went to the New York Liberty with the No. 1 overall pick, the WNBA also created history by becoming the first major sports league to conduct a virtual draft.

And it was an absolute home run.

The Draft itself was accomplished without a hitch and the WNBA set a template for the NFL, the NHL and the NBA to follow.

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert strived to make the three-round draft, which was broadcast on ESPN, all about the prospects, which is the way it should be as it is their night.

Each top pick was sent a gift box prior to the draft and a personal message from Engelbert, while prospects were sent Beats headphones and technology packages to ensure that the night went as smoothly as possible.

Reactions of each prospect being selected was broadcast live, as were their interviews with ESPN after being drafted.

It all helped to add to the experience and ensured that each prospect still had a special night despite the uncharted waters we are all currently wading through.

It resulted in the WNBA recording their best draft rating in 16 years, while a touching tribute to Gianna Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, the three young girls killed in the helicopter crash in LA on Jan. 26, that killed nine people including NBA legend Kobe Bryant, by naming them as honorary draft picks added a real heartfelt moment to proceedings.

There were a few slight technical hitches but, overall, the WNBA showed the rest of the sporting world exactly how to conduct a virtual draft.

It was as big a home run as you could possibly imagine, and the NHL should study the WNBA Draft closely ahead of their draft should it still take place in June.

While there will be more rounds and more prospects to deal with, the idea to make each prospect feel as involved as possible should be one the NHL absolutely borrows from the WNBA.

Equipping prospects with technology in advance is the best way to ensure operations on the night run smoothly, while sending gift packs to each pick was a really nice touch from the WNBA.

But, most importantly, the NHL needs to strive to ensure that the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is a good product for TV, while not taking away anything from the special occasion it should be for each prospect.

If the NHL can follow the blueprint so expertly laid out by the WNBA, then the 2020 NHL Entry Draft should be a home run for the Golden Knights and the rest of the league too.