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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 Flag of Canada Canada Forward St. Michael's Buzzers CJBHL
1964 Detroit Red Wings Gauthier, ClaudeClaude Gauthier
¤
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Comité des jeunes (Rosemont) QC Midget
1965 New York Rangers Veilleux, AndreAndre Veilleux
¤ 
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Montreal Rangers Jr. B QC Jr. B
1966 Boston Bruins Gibbs, BarryBarry Gibbs Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Estevan Bruins SJHL
1967 Los Angeles Kings Pagnutti, RickRick Pagnutti
¤
Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Garson Native Sons NOHA
1968 Montreal Canadiens Plasse, MichelMichel Plasse Flag of Canada Canada Goaltender Drummondville Rangers QMJHL
1969 Montreal Canadiens Houle, RejeanRejean Houle Flag of Canada Canada Forward Montreal Junior Canadiens OHA
1970 Buffalo Sabres Perreault, GilbertGilbert Perreault
#
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Montreal Junior Canadiens OHA
1971 Montreal Canadiens Lafleur, GuyGuy Lafleur
*
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Quebec Remparts QMJHL
1972 New York Islanders

Harris, BillyBilly Harris

Flag of Canada Canada Forward Peterborough Petes OHA
1973 New York Islanders Potvin, DenisDenis Potvin
#
Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Ottawa 67's OHA
1974 Washington Capitals Joly, GregGreg Joly Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Regina Pats WCHL
1975 Philadelphia Flyers Bridgman, MelMel Bridgman Flag of Canada Canada Forward Victoria Cougars WCHL
1976 Washington Capitals Green, RickRick Green Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman London Knights OHA
1977 Detroit Red Wings McCourt, DaleDale McCourt Flag of Canada Canada Forward Hamilton Fincups OHA
1978 Minnesota North Stars Smith, BobbyBobby Smith
^
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Ottawa 67's OHA
1979 Colorado Rockies Ramage, RobRob Ramage Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman London Knights OHA
1980 Montreal Canadiens Wickenheiser, DougDoug Wickenheiser Flag of Canada Canada Forward Regina Pats WHL
1981 Winnipeg Jets Hawerchuk, DaleDale Hawerchuk
#
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Cornwall Royals QMJHL
1982 Boston Bruins Kluzak, GordGord Kluzak Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Billings Bighorns WHL
1983 Minnesota North Stars Lawton, BrianBrian Lawton Flag of the United States United States Forward Mount Saint Charles Mounties USHS-RI
1984 Pittsburgh Penguins Lemieux, MarioMario Lemieux
#
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Laval Voisins QMJHL
1985 Toronto Maple Leafs Clark, WendelWendel Clark Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman 1 Saskatoon Blades WHL
1986 Detroit Red Wings Murphy, JoeJoe Murphy Flag of Canada Canada Forward Michigan State Spartans CCHA
1987 Buffalo Sabres Turgeon, PierrePierre Turgeon Flag of Canada Canada Forward Granby Bisons QMJHL
1988 Minnesota North Stars Modano, MikeMike Modano
*
Flag of the United States United States Forward Prince Albert Raiders WHL
1989 Quebec Nordiques Sundin, MatsMats Sundin
*
Flag of Sweden Sweden Forward Nacka HK Swe-2
1990 Quebec Nordiques Nolan, OwenOwen Nolan Flag of Canada Canada Forward Cornwall Royals OHL
1991 Quebec Nordiques Lindros, EricEric Lindros
*
Flag of Canada Canada Forward Oshawa Generals OHL
1992 Tampa Bay Lightning Hamrlik, RomanRoman Hamrlik Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia Defenceman HC Zlin CS-1HL
1993 Ottawa Senators Daigle, AlexandreAlexandre Daigle Flag of Canada Canada Forward Victoriaville Tigres QMJHL
1994 Florida Panthers Jovanovski, EdEd Jovanovski Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Windsor Spitfires OHL
1995 Ottawa Senators Berard, BryanBryan Berard
^
Flag of the United States United States Defenceman Detroit Junior Red Wings OHL
1996 Ottawa Senators Phillips, ChrisChris Phillips Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Prince Albert Raiders WHL
1997 Boston Bruins Thornton, JoeJoe Thornton Flag of Canada Canada Forward Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL
1998 Tampa Bay Lightning Lecavalier, VincentVincent Lecavalier Flag of Canada Canada Forward Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL
1999 Atlanta Thrashers Stefan, PatrikPatrik Stefan Flag of the Czech Republic Czech Republic Forward Long Beach Ice Dogs IHL
2000 New York Islanders DiPietro, RickRick DiPietro Flag of the United States United States Goaltender Boston University Terriers HEA
2001 Atlanta Thrashers Kovalchuk, IlyaIlya Kovalchuk Flag of Russia Russia Forward Spartak Moscow RUS-2
2002 Columbus Blue Jackets Nash, RickRick Nash Flag of Canada Canada Forward London Knights OHL
2003 Pittsburgh Penguins Fleury, Marc-AndreMarc-Andre Fleury Flag of Canada Canada Goaltender Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL
2004 Washington Capitals Ovechkin, AlexanderAlexander Ovechkin

^

Flag of Russia Russia Forward Dynamo Moscow RSL
2005 Pittsburgh Penguins Crosby, SidneySidney Crosby Flag of Canada Canada Forward Rimouski Océanic QMJHL
2006 St. Louis Blues Johnson, ErikErik Johnson Flag of the United States United States Defenceman U.S. NTDP NAHL
2007 Chicago Blackhawks Kane, PatrickPatrick Kane

^

Flag of the United States United States Forward London Knights OHL
2008 Tampa Bay Lightning Stamkos, StevenSteven Stamkos Flag of Canada Canada Forward Sarnia Sting OHL
2009 New York Islanders Tavares, JohnJohn Tavares Flag of Canada Canada Forward London Knights OHL
2010 Edmonton Oilers Hall, TaylorTaylor Hall Flag of Canada Canada Forward Windsor Spitfires OHL
2011 Edmonton Oilers Nugent-Hopkins, RyanRyan Nugent-Hopkins Flag of Canada Canada Forward Red Deer Rebels WHL
2012 Edmonton Oilers Yakupov, NailNail Yakupov Flag of Russia Russia Forward Sarnia Sting OHL
2013 Colorado Avalanche MacKinnon, NathanNathan MacKinnon

^

Flag of Canada Canada Forward Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL
2014 Florida Panthers Ekblad, AaronAaron Ekblad

^

Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Barrie Colts OHL
2015 Edmonton Oilers McDavid, ConnorConnor McDavid Flag of Canada Canada Forward Erie Otters OHL
2016 Toronto Maple Leafs Matthews, AustonAuston Matthews

^

Flag of the United States United States Forward ZSC Lions NLA
2017 New Jersey Devils Hischier, NicoNico Hischier Flag of Switzerland Switzerland Forward Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL
2018 Buffalo Sabres Dahlin, RasmusRasmus Dahlin Flag of Sweden Sweden Defenceman Frolunda HC SHL
2019 New Jersey Devils Hughes, JackJack Hughes Flag of the United States United States Forward U.S. NTDP USHL
2020 New York Rangers Lafreniere, AlexisAlexis Lafreniere


Flag of Canada Canada Forward Rimouski Océanic QMJHL
2021 Buffalo Sabres Power, OwenOwen Power


Flag of Canada Canada Defenceman Michigan Wolverines Big Ten
2022 Montreal Canadiens Slafkovsky, JurajJuraj Slafkovsky Flag of Slovakia Slovakia Forward HC TPS Liiga
Notes
  1. Wendel Clark was drafted as a defenseman.

See also[]

References[]

General
Specific
This page uses content from Wikipedia. The original article was at List of first overall NHL draft picks. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Ice Hockey Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA).


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