The leaders of the National Hockey League and its teams are in town for the 2016 Draft. When they leave, tourism officials are hoping they leave some green behind.
Visit Buffalo Niagara is estimating the teams and others connected with the draft will fill up 11,000 room nights and spend more than $9 million.
VBN Sales and Services Vice President Mike Even said the visitors will see a very different Buffalo from 1998 when the draft was last held here.
"Harborcenter was a parking lot and Canalside was the Aud and the Courtyard by Marriott was the former Donovan State Office Building. So, you can see how the landscape has changed a great deal," Even said.
"I think they are going to find plenty of things between the new restaurants, the breweries, the distilleries that have opened up."
Visit Buffalo Niagara even has a special brochure for the hockey visitors of all the things they can do when here in warm weather, as opposed to visits during the hockey season winters.
Marriott General Manager Husayn Taran is also looking forward to showing off the region's warm weather.
"I will say it's an audition for the whole Buffalo, not just for the Harborcenter itself. There definitely is good for the hotel attached to the arena is a complex in here, but I think it's going to be great for the whole Buffalo to be showcasing what Buffalo has to offer," Taran said.
Taran said the hotel is full and has been for a while, with teams taking up to 20 rooms apiece for all of the staff members attending meetings. Harborcenter's three hockey rinks and workout rooms are also expected to be extra busy this week.
