The top 3 picks - Tom Lysiak , Denis Potvin , and Dennis Ververgaert .
The 1973 NHL Amateur Draft , the 11th National Hockey League draft was the first to be held on a separate day from other league activities on May 15, 1973, at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal so it would not overshadow the rest of the league meetings. Previously, the league had held the amateur draft in mid-June. It also marks the second time the meeting took place at the Mount Royal Hotel rather than the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. In 1972, when the World Hockey Association was beginning to take form, some teams were more focused on the amateur draft that they stopped paying attention to other issues (mainly the WHA raiding NHL rosters) and were spending their time preparing for the draft.
With the WHA having already operated for a full season, NHL teams realized they would have to fight to sign their top picks. This was especially important in a year when the draft was considered extremely deep and the WHA was scheduled to draft players just three days after the NHL.
The top pick of the 1973 NHL amateur draft was Ottawa 67's star Denis Potvin who was projected to be the next Bobby Orr . The Montreal Canadiens , the most active team on draft day, re-positioned themselves by trading for several high picks and then offered the New York Islanders all types of packages for the first choice overall as they want to select Potvin for themselves. Islanders general manager Bill Torrey was not interested, however and held on to the top pick. He selected Potvin, who became a big part of the building block for the Islanders hockey dynasty between 1980 to 1983
Although the NHL had to compete hard with the WHA to sign these amateur players, they managed to sign all 16 of their first-round draft picks before the rival league could. The NHL-WHA competition was so fierce that the Toronto Maple Leafs offered a staggering, at the time, five-year $600,000 contract for right winger Lanny McDonald of the Medicine Hat Tigers , which kept the No. 4 pick from signing with the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders .
Eligible for the draft were all amateur players born before January 1, 1954 The NHL paid a lump sum to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to support major junior hockey as a group. Teams could offer a player a contract at any time after the draft without risking then re-entering a future NHL draft.
Selections by round [ ]
Below are listed the selections in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft.
Round one [ ]
Round two [ ]
Round three [ ]
Round four [ ]
Round five [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
65
Ron Kennedy
Right wing
New York Islanders
New Westminster (WCHL)
66
Jim Moxey
Right wing
California Golden Seals
Hamilton (OHA)
67
Paul O'Neil
Centre
United States
Vancouver Canucks
Boston University (NCAA)
68
Gord Titcomb
Left wing
Toronto Maple Leafs
St. Catharines (OHA)
69
John Flesch
Left wing
Atlanta Flames
Lake Superior (NCAA)
70
Dennis Abgrall
Right wing
Los Angeles Kings
Saskatoon (WCHL)
71
Guido Tenesi
Defence
United States
Pittsburgh Penguins
Oshawa (OHA)
72
Bill Laing
Centre
St. Louis Blues
Saskatoon (WCHL)
73
Lowell Ostlund
Defence
Minnesota North Stars
Saskatoon (WCHL)
74
Michel Latreille
Defence
Philadelphia Flyers
Montreal (QMJHL)
75
Blair Stewart
Centre
Detroit Red Wings
Winnipeg (WCHL)
76
Bob Smulders
Right wing
Buffalo Sabres
Peterborough (OHA)
77
Dan Hinton
Left wing
Chicago Black Hawks
Sault Ste. Marie (OHA)
78
Pierre Laganiere
Right wing
New York Rangers
Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
79
Peter Crosbie
Goaltender
Boston Bruins
London (OHA)
80
Gerard Gibbons
Defence
Montreal Canadiens
St. Mary's AUAA
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
Round six [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
81
Keith Smith
Defence
New York Islanders
Brown (NCAA)
82
Willie Trognitz
Left wing
California Golden Seals
Thunder Bay Juniors
83
Jim Cowell
Centre
Vancouver Canucks
Ottawa (OHA)
84
Doug Marit
Defence
Toronto Maple Leafs
Regina (WCHL)
85
Ken Houston
Defence
Atlanta Flames
Chatham SOJHL
86
Blair MacDonald
Right wing
Los Angeles Kings
Cornwall (QMJHL)
87
Don Seiling
Left wing
Pittsburgh Penguins
Oshawa (OHA)
88
Randy Smith
Left wing
St. Louis Blues
Edmonton (WCHL)
89
David Lee
Left wing
United Kingdom
Minnesota North Stars
Ottawa (OHA)
90
Doug Ferguson
Defence
Philadelphia Flyers
Hamilton (OHA)
91
Glenn Cickello
Defence
Detroit Red Wings
Hamilton (OHA)
92
Neil Korzack
Left wing
Buffalo Sabres
Peterborough (OHA)
93
Garry Doerksen
Centre
Chicago Black Hawks
Winnipeg (WCHL)
94
Dwayne Pentland
Defence
New York Rangers
Brandon (WCHL)
95
J.P. Burgoyne
Defence
Boston Bruins
Shawinigan (QMJHL)
96
Denis Patry
Right wing
Montreal Canadiens
Drummondville (QMJHL)
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
Round seven [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
97
Don Cutts
Goaltender
New York Islanders
RPI (NCAA)
98
Paul Tantardini
Left wing
California Golden Seals
Downsview Bombers Ontario Jr. A
99
Clay Hebenton
Goaltender
Vancouver Canucks
Portland WCJHL
100
Dan Follet
Goaltender
Toronto Maple Leafs
Downsview Bombers Ontario Jr. A
101
Tom Machowski
Defence
United States
Atlanta Flames
Wisconsin (NCAA)
102
Roly Kimble
Goaltender
Los Angeles Kings
Hamilton (OHA)
103
Terry Ewasiuk
Left wing
Pittsburgh Penguins
Victoria (WCHL)
104
John Wensink
Left wing
St. Louis Blues
Cornwall (QMJHL)
105
Lou Nistico
Centre
Minnesota North Stars
London (OHA)
106
Tom Young
Defence
Philadelphia Flyers
Sudbury (OHA)
107
Brian Middleton
Defence
Detroit Red Wings
Alberta (NCAA)
108
Bob Young
Defence
United States
Buffalo Sabres
Denver (NCAA)
109
Wayne Dye
Left wing
Chicago Black Hawks
New Westminster (WCHL)
110
Denis Andersen
Defence
New York Islanders
New Westminster (WCHL)
111
Walter Johnson
Right wing
United States
Boston Bruins
Oshawa (OHA)
112
Michel Belisle
Centre
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal (QMJHL)
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
Round eight [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
113
Mike Kennedy
Right wing
New York Islanders
Kitchener (OHA)
114
Bruce Greig
Left wing
California Golden Seals
Vancouver (WCHL)
115
John Senkpiel
Left wing
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver (WCHL)
116
Les Burgess
Left wing
Toronto Maple Leafs
Kitchener (OHA)
117
Bob Law
Right wing
Atlanta Flames
North Dakota (WCHA)
118
Dennis Polonich
Centre
Detroit Red Wings
Flin Flon (WCHL)
119
Fred Comrie
Centre
Pittsburgh Penguins
Edmonton (WCHL)
120
Jean Tetreault
Left wing
St. Louis Blues
Drummondville (QMJHL)
121
George Beveridge
Defence
Minnesota North Stars
Kitchener (OHA)
122
Norm Barnes
Defence
Philadelphia Flyers
Michigan State (NCAA)
123
George Lyle
Left wing
Detroit Red Wings
Michigan Tech (NCAA)
124
Tim O'Connell
Right wing
United States
Buffalo Sabres
Vermont (NCAA)
125
Jim Koleff
Centre
Chicago Black Hawks
Hamilton (OHA)
126
Denis Desgagnes
Centre
New York Islanders
Sorel (QMJHL)
127
Virgil Gates
Defence
Boston Bruins
Swift Current (WCHL)
128
Mario Desjardins
Left wing
Montreal Canadiens
Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
Round nine [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
129
Bob Lorimer
Defence
New York Islanders
Michigan Tech (NCAA)
130
Larry Patey
Centre
California Golden Seals
Braintree NEJHL
131
Peter Folco
Defence
Vancouver Canucks
Quebec (QMJHL)
132
Dave Pay
Left wing
Toronto Maple Leafs
Wisconsin (NCAA)
133
Bob Bilodeau
Defence
Atlanta Flames
New Westminster (WCHL)
134
Gord Lane
Defence
Pittsburgh Penguins
New Westminster (WCHL)
135
Dennis O'Brien
Defence
Detroit Red Wings
Laurentian CIAU
136
Jim Johnston
Centre
Minnesota North Stars
Peterborough (OHA)
137
Dan O'Donohue
Defence
Philadelphia Flyers
Sault Ste. Marie (OHA)
138
Tom Newman
Defence
Detroit Red Wings
Kitchener (OHA)
139
Ray Bibeau
Defence
Detroit Red Wings
Montreal (QMJHL)
140
Jack Johnson
Defence
United States
Chicago Black Hawks
Wisconsin (NCAA)
141
Steve Alley
Left wing
United States
Chicago Black Hawks
Wisconsin (NCAA)
142
Jim Pettie
Goaltender
Boston Bruins
St. Catharines (OHA)
143
Bob Wright
Right wing
Montreal Canadiens
Pembroke Lumber Kings CJAHL
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
Round ten [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
144
Lee Palmer
Defence
Toronto Maple Leafs
Clarkson (NCAA)
145
Doug Mahood
Right wing
California Golden Seals
Sault Ste. Marie (OHA)
146
Terry McDougall
Centre
Vancouver Canucks
Swift Current (WCHL)
147
Bob Peace
Centre
Toronto Maple Leafs
Cornell (NCAA)
148
Glen Surbey
Defence
Atlanta Flames
Loyola College (NCAA)
149
Guy Ross
Defence
Atlanta Flames
Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
150
Randy Aimoe
Defence
Pittsburgh Penguins
Medicine Hat (WCHL)
151
Kevin Neville
Goaltender
Detroit Red Wings
Toronto (OHA)
152
Sam Clegg
Goaltender
Minnesota North Stars
Medicine Hat (WCHL)
153
Brian Dick
Right wing
Philadelphia Flyers
Winnipeg (WCHL)
154
Ken Gibb
Defence
Detroit Red Wings
North Dakota (NCAA)
155
Mitch Brandt
Defence
United States
Detroit Red Wings
Denver (NCAA)
156
Rick Clubbe
Centre
Chicago Black Hawks
North Dakota (NCAA)
157
Yvan Bouillon
Centre
Boston Bruins
Cornwall (QMJHL)
158
Alain Labrecque
Centre
Montreal Canadiens
Trois-Rivieres (QMJHL)
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
Round eleven [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
159
Norm McLeod
Left wing
Toronto Maple Leafs
Ottawa (OHA Jr. A)
160
Angie Moretto
Centre
California Golden Seals
Michigan (NCAA)
161
Russ Wiechnik
Centre
Minnesota North Stars
Calgary (WCHL)
162
Greg Fox
Defence
Atlanta Flames
Michigan (WCHA)
163
Max Hansen
Left wing
United States
Minnesota North Stars
Sudbury (OHA)
164
Don McLeod
Centre
Pittsburgh Penguins
Saskatoon (WCHL)
165
Gene Strate
Defence
Chicago Black Hawks
Edmonton (WCHL)
166
Gord Halliday
Right wing
Montreal Canadiens
Pennsylvania (ECAC)
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
Round twelve [ ]
Round thirteen [ ]
Pick #
Player
Position
Nationality
NHL team
College/junior/club team
168
Louis Chiasson
Centre
Montreal Canadiens
Trois-Rivieres (QMJHL)
Reference: 1973 NHL Amateur Draft hockeydraftcentral.com . Retrieved on 18 December 2008.
= NHL All-Star [1]
= Hall of Famers
See also [ ]
↑ 1.0 1.1 Players are identified as an All-Star if they were selected for the All-Star game at any time in their career.