List of first overall NHL draft picks

JohnTavares cropped — John Tavares, the first player taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.

The NHL Entry Draft, originally known as the NHL Amateur Draft, is a collective meeting in which the franchises of the National Hockey League (NHL) systematically select the exclusive rights to available amateur players who meet the eligibility requirements to play professional hockey in the NHL. First held in 1963, the draft prior to 1969 was a shorter affair. Any amateur player who was aged 17 years and older and was not already sponsored by an NHL club was eligible to be drafted. In 1969 the rules were changed so that any amateur player between the ages of 17 and 20 was eligible to be drafted.^[1] The draft has grown, and in 2021, 223 players were selected over seven rounds.^[2]

A total of 60 different players have been selected first. Of those, 43 have been Canadian, eight American, three Russian, two Czech, two Swedish, one Slovak and one Swiss. Every first overall pick taken between 1968 and 2016 has played in at least 299 NHL games.^[3] Three players retired without having played an NHL game.

The Montreal Canadiens have had the most first overall picks of any other team, selecting six players first between 1963 and 2022. Five players have come from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, more than any other team. Eleven players have won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year: Gilbert Perreault, Denis Potvin, Bobby Smith, Dale Hawerchuk, Mario Lemieux, Bryan Berard, Alexander Ovechkin, Patrick Kane, Nathan MacKinnon, Aaron Ekblad and Auston Matthews. Eight have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame: Perreault, Potvin, Guy Lafleur, Eric Lindros, Hawerchuk, Lemieux, Mats Sundin and Mike Modano.

First overall choices[]

Key

bold	Active in the NHL
^‡	Expansion team
^	Calder Memorial Trophy winner
*	Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
^#	Calder Memorial Trophy winner and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame
^¤	No games played in the NHL^[4]

Draft	Selected by	Player	Nationality	Position	Amateur/junior/former club	League
1963	Montreal Canadiens	Monahan, GarryGarry Monahan	Canada Canada	Forward	St. Michael's Buzzers	CJBHL
1964	Detroit Red Wings	Gauthier, ClaudeClaude Gauthier ^¤	Canada Canada	Forward	Comité des jeunes (Rosemont)	QC Midget
1965	New York Rangers	Veilleux, AndreAndre Veilleux ^¤	Canada Canada	Forward	Montreal Rangers Jr. B	QC Jr. B
1966	Boston Bruins	Gibbs, BarryBarry Gibbs	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Estevan Bruins	SJHL
1967	Los Angeles Kings^‡	Pagnutti, RickRick Pagnutti ^¤	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Garson Native Sons	NOHA
1968	Montreal Canadiens	Plasse, MichelMichel Plasse	Canada Canada	Goaltender	Drummondville Rangers	QMJHL
1969	Montreal Canadiens	Houle, RejeanRejean Houle	Canada Canada	Forward	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA
1970	Buffalo Sabres^‡	Perreault, GilbertGilbert Perreault ^#	Canada Canada	Forward	Montreal Junior Canadiens	OHA
1971	Montreal Canadiens	Lafleur, GuyGuy Lafleur *	Canada Canada	Forward	Quebec Remparts	QMJHL
1972	New York Islanders^‡	Harris, BillyBilly Harris	Canada Canada	Forward	Peterborough Petes	OHA
1973	New York Islanders	Potvin, DenisDenis Potvin ^#	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Ottawa 67's	OHA
1974	Washington Capitals	Joly, GregGreg Joly	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Regina Pats	WCHL
1975	Philadelphia Flyers	Bridgman, MelMel Bridgman	Canada Canada	Forward	Victoria Cougars	WCHL
1976	Washington Capitals	Green, RickRick Green	Canada Canada	Defenceman	London Knights	OHA
1977	Detroit Red Wings	McCourt, DaleDale McCourt	Canada Canada	Forward	Hamilton Fincups	OHA
1978	Minnesota North Stars	Smith, BobbyBobby Smith ^	Canada Canada	Forward	Ottawa 67's	OHA
1979	Colorado Rockies	Ramage, RobRob Ramage	Canada Canada	Defenceman	London Knights	OHA
1980	Montreal Canadiens	Wickenheiser, DougDoug Wickenheiser	Canada Canada	Forward	Regina Pats	WHL
1981	Winnipeg Jets	Hawerchuk, DaleDale Hawerchuk ^#	Canada Canada	Forward	Cornwall Royals	QMJHL
1982	Boston Bruins	Kluzak, GordGord Kluzak	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Billings Bighorns	WHL
1983	Minnesota North Stars	Lawton, BrianBrian Lawton	United States United States	Forward	Mount Saint Charles Mounties	USHS-RI
1984	Pittsburgh Penguins	Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux ^#	Canada Canada	Forward	Laval Voisins	QMJHL
1985	Toronto Maple Leafs	Clark, WendelWendel Clark	Canada Canada	Defenceman ¹	Saskatoon Blades	WHL
1986	Detroit Red Wings	Murphy, JoeJoe Murphy	Canada Canada	Forward	Michigan State Spartans	CCHA
1987	Buffalo Sabres	Turgeon, PierrePierre Turgeon	Canada Canada	Forward	Granby Bisons	QMJHL
1988	Minnesota North Stars	Modano, MikeMike Modano *	United States United States	Forward	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL
1989	Quebec Nordiques	Sundin, MatsMats Sundin *	Sweden Sweden	Forward	Nacka HK	Swe-2
1990	Quebec Nordiques	Nolan, OwenOwen Nolan	Canada Canada	Forward	Cornwall Royals	OHL
1991	Quebec Nordiques	Lindros, EricEric Lindros *	Canada Canada	Forward	Oshawa Generals	OHL
1992	Tampa Bay Lightning^‡	Hamrlik, RomanRoman Hamrlik	Czech Republic Czechoslovakia	Defenceman	HC Zlin	CS-1HL
1993	Ottawa Senators	Daigle, AlexandreAlexandre Daigle	Canada Canada	Forward	Victoriaville Tigres	QMJHL
1994	Florida Panthers	Jovanovski, EdEd Jovanovski	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Windsor Spitfires	OHL
1995	Ottawa Senators	Berard, BryanBryan Berard ^	United States United States	Defenceman	Detroit Junior Red Wings	OHL
1996	Ottawa Senators	Phillips, ChrisChris Phillips	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Prince Albert Raiders	WHL
1997	Boston Bruins	Thornton, JoeJoe Thornton	Canada Canada	Forward	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds	OHL
1998	Tampa Bay Lightning	Lecavalier, VincentVincent Lecavalier	Canada Canada	Forward	Rimouski Oceanic	QMJHL
1999	Atlanta Thrashers^‡	Stefan, PatrikPatrik Stefan	Czech Republic Czech Republic	Forward	Long Beach Ice Dogs	IHL
2000	New York Islanders	DiPietro, RickRick DiPietro	United States United States	Goaltender	Boston University Terriers	HEA
2001	Atlanta Thrashers	Kovalchuk, IlyaIlya Kovalchuk	Russia Russia	Forward	Spartak Moscow	RUS-2
2002	Columbus Blue Jackets	Nash, RickRick Nash	Canada Canada	Forward	London Knights	OHL
2003	Pittsburgh Penguins	Fleury, Marc-AndreMarc-Andre Fleury	Canada Canada	Goaltender	Cape Breton Screaming Eagles	QMJHL
2004	Washington Capitals	Ovechkin, AlexanderAlexander Ovechkin ^	Russia Russia	Forward	Dynamo Moscow	RSL
2005	Pittsburgh Penguins	Crosby, SidneySidney Crosby	Canada Canada	Forward	Rimouski Océanic	QMJHL
2006	St. Louis Blues	Johnson, ErikErik Johnson	United States United States	Defenceman	U.S. NTDP	NAHL
2007	Chicago Blackhawks	Kane, PatrickPatrick Kane ^	United States United States	Forward	London Knights	OHL
2008	Tampa Bay Lightning	Stamkos, StevenSteven Stamkos	Canada Canada	Forward	Sarnia Sting	OHL
2009	New York Islanders	Tavares, JohnJohn Tavares	Canada Canada	Forward	London Knights	OHL
2010	Edmonton Oilers	Hall, TaylorTaylor Hall	Canada Canada	Forward	Windsor Spitfires	OHL
2011	Edmonton Oilers	Nugent-Hopkins, RyanRyan Nugent-Hopkins	Canada Canada	Forward	Red Deer Rebels	WHL
2012	Edmonton Oilers	Yakupov, NailNail Yakupov	Russia Russia	Forward	Sarnia Sting	OHL
2013	Colorado Avalanche	MacKinnon, NathanNathan MacKinnon ^	Canada Canada	Forward	Halifax Mooseheads	QMJHL
2014	Florida Panthers	Ekblad, AaronAaron Ekblad ^	Canada Canada	Defenceman	Barrie Colts	OHL
2015	Edmonton Oilers	McDavid, ConnorConnor McDavid	Canada Canada	Forward	Erie Otters	OHL
2016	Toronto Maple Leafs	Matthews, AustonAuston Matthews ^	United States United States	Forward	ZSC Lions	NLA
2017	New Jersey Devils	Hischier, NicoNico Hischier	Switzerland Switzerland	Forward	Halifax Mooseheads	QMJHL
2018	Buffalo Sabres	Dahlin, RasmusRasmus Dahlin	Sweden Sweden	Defenceman	Frolunda HC	SHL
2019	New Jersey Devils	Hughes, JackJack Hughes	United States United States	Forward	U.S. NTDP	USHL
2020	New York Rangers	Lafreniere, AlexisAlexis Lafreniere	Canada	Forward	Rimouski Océanic	QMJHL
2021	Buffalo Sabres	Power, OwenOwen Power	Canada	Defenceman	Michigan Wolverines	Big Ten
2022	Montreal Canadiens	Slafkovsky, JurajJuraj Slafkovsky	Slovakia	Forward	HC TPS	Liiga