“Hockey plays a big part of my daily life,” said Bentley. “I’ve been to rinks all over the country with my travel hockey son. I coach his spring league games and spend hours in the local hockey store, telling him, ‘No, you do not need a new stick!’ We love watching YouTube highlight reels, the whole family loves going to Nashville Predators games and watching the Stanley Cup Final together. And, I am a proud member of a beer league team here in Nashville. To get to add NHL Awards host to this list is truly an honor.”

“We can’t wait to celebrate the NHL’s best and brightest with the best of country music in Nashville,” said NHL Chief Content Officer and Senior Executive Vice President Steve Mayer. “Dierks has rocked our stage over the years as a headline performer, and we’re so happy to welcome him as host of this year’s NHL Awards.”

The 2023 NHL Awards will open a week of NHL activities in Nashville. The NHL, in conjunction with the City of Nashville and the Nashville Predators, will stage the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft™, June 28-29, at Bridgestone Arena. Tickets to the 2023 NHL Draft are available for purchase here.

A list of NHL and Predators public activities and events, including red carpet arrivals for the NHL Awards show and the NHL Draft, will be held in the area outside Bridgestone Arena and announced in the coming weeks.

The 2023 NHL Awards broadcast will reveal the winners of 13 regular-season awards in a wide range of categories, including most valuable player (Hart Trophy), outstanding goaltender (Vezina Trophy), outstanding defenseman (Norris Trophy) and outstanding rookie (Calder Trophy); the Ted Lindsay Award, which is presented annually to the “most outstanding player” in the NHL as voted by fellow members of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), will also be awarded.

NHL Network™, NHL.com and NHL Social™ will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2023 NHL Awards™. Fans can follow the festivities across the NHL’s social media channels via the official hashtag #NHLAwards.

Dierks Bentley recently released his 10th studio album GRAVEL & GOLD, again “proving why he’s one of Country’s biggest stars” (TODAY) whose unique 21st-century career has had a rare consistency fueled by longevity. He landed his first publishing deal in 2001 and released his debut album in 2003, producing an instant number one single. In the two decades since, Bentley has achieved success with eight more albums that reached the top of the Country sales charts, resulting in 22 number one songs, eight billion streams, three CMA Awards, 14 GRAMMY® nominations and membership into the Grand Ole Opry. This summer, his Gravel & Gold Tour will crisscross North America, launching today in Toronto. Bentley has created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting four locations. For more information and for a full list of tour dates, visit Dierks.com.