sportsjabber.net

Rumors have been circulating for quite some time that the 2012 NHL Draft would be held at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, but it’s expected to become official this week. According to a report at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the NHL is set to formally announce Pittsburgh as the host of the draft on Thursday from the arena, prior to the Penguins’ game against the New York Rangers.

The draft is expected to be held on June 22-23, shortly after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. The draft is expected to keep the same format, with the first round taking place on Friday night and the remaining rounds taking place during the day on Saturday.

Pittsburgh recently hosted one of the NHL’s other major events, the Winter Classic, in January at Heinz Field. The last time the NHL Draft was held in Pittsburgh was in 1997.

Follow @sbnation on Twitter, and Like SBNation.com on Facebook.