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 61 different players have been selected first. Of those, 44 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 overall since 1963. The Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights have never selected first overall. Five players have come from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, more than any other team. Twelve 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, Auston Matthews and Connor Bedard . Nine have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame: Perreault, Potvin, Guy Lafleur, Eric Lindros, Hawerchuk, Lemieux, Pierre Turgeon, Mats Sundin and Mike Modano.
| 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 | width=150px | Selected by | width=150px | Player | width=110px | Nationality | width=90px | Position | width=190px | Amateur/junior/former club | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Michael's Buzzers | CJBHL | ||||||||||
| ¤ | Forward | Comité des jeunes (Rosemont) | QC Midget | ||||||||
| ¤ | Montreal Rangers Jr. B | QC Jr. B | |||||||||
| Estevan Bruins | SJHL | ||||||||||
| Los Angeles Kings‡ | ¤ | Garson Native Sons | NOHA | ||||||||
| Drummondville Rangers | QMJHL | ||||||||||
| align=center | Montreal Junior Canadiens | OHA | |||||||||
| align=center | Buffalo Sabres‡ | # | Montreal Junior Canadiens | OHA | |||||||
| align=center | * | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | ||||||||
| align=center | New York Islanders‡ | Forward | Peterborough Petes | OHA | |||||||
| align=center | # | Defenceman | Ottawa 67's | OHA | |||||||
| align=center | Defenceman | Regina Pats | WCHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Forward | Victoria Cougars | WCHL | ||||||||
| align=center | London Knights | OHA | |||||||||
| align=center | Forward | Hamilton Fincups | OHA | ||||||||
| align=center | ^ | Ottawa 67's | OHA | ||||||||
| align=center | London Knights | OHA | |||||||||
| align=center | Regina Pats | WHL | |||||||||
| align=center | # | Cornwall Royals | QMJHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Billings Bighorns | WHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Mount Saint Charles Mounties | USHS-RI | |||||||||
| align=center | # | Laval Voisins | QMJHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Defenceman1 | Saskatoon Blades | WHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Michigan State Spartans | CCHA | |||||||||
| align=center | * | Granby Bisons | QMJHL | ||||||||
| align=center | * | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | ||||||||
| align=center | * | Nacka HK | Swe-2 | ||||||||
| align=center | Cornwall Royals | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | * | Oshawa Generals | OHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Tampa Bay Lightning‡ | HC Zlin | CS-1HL | ||||||||
| align=center | Victoriaville Tigres | QMJHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | ^ | Detroit Junior Red Wings | OHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Rimouski Oceanic | QMJHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Atlanta Thrashers‡ | Long Beach Ice Dogs | IHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Boston University Terriers | HEA | |||||||||
| align=center | Spartak Moscow | RUS-2 | |||||||||
| align=center | London Knights | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Cape Breton Screaming Eagles | QMJHL | |||||||||
| align=center | ^ | Dynamo Moscow | RSL | ||||||||
| align=center | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL | |||||||||
| align=center | U.S. NTDP | NAHL | |||||||||
| align=center | ^ | London Knights | OHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Sarnia Sting | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | London Knights | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Red Deer Rebels | WHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Sarnia Sting | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | ^ | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | ||||||||
| align=center | ^ | Barrie Colts | OHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Erie Otters | OHL | |||||||||
| align=center | ^ | ZSC Lions | NLA | ||||||||
| align=center | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Frolunda HC | SHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Forward | U.S. NTDP | USHL | ||||||||
| align=center | Rimouski Océanic | QMJHL | |||||||||
| align=center | Big Ten | ||||||||||
| align=center | HC TPS | Liiga | |||||||||
| align=center | ^ | Regina Pats | WHL | ||||||||
| align=center | ^ | Boston University Terriers | Hockey East |
Has never been awarded a first overall pick
Franchise is defunct
| Team | width=150px | Last #1 overall pick | width=220px | Total picks awarded/made | width=200px | Trades/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Canadiens | 2022 | 4(6) | Acquired pick from Devils (Rockies) in 1980 Acquired pick from the Golden Seals in 1971 | |||
| New Jersey Devils (formerly Kansas City Scouts/Colorado Rockies) | 2019 | 5(3) | Traded pick to Bruins in 1982Traded pick to Canadiens in 1980 | |||
| Florida Panthers | 2014 | 5(2) | Traded pick to Blue Jackets in 2002 Traded pick to Penguins in 2003 Traded pick to Lightning in 1998 | |||
| Washington Capitals | 2004 | 4(3) | Traded pick to Flyers in 1975 | |||
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 2008 | 4(3) | Traded pick to Jets (Thrashers) in 1999 | |||
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 2005 | 3(3) | Acquired pick from Panthers in 2003Traded pick to Stars (North Stars) in 1983 | |||
| Boston Bruins | 1997 | 2(3) | Acquired pick from Devils (Rockies) in 1982 | |||
| Winnipeg Jets (formerly Atlanta Thrashers) | 2001 | 1(2) | Acquired pick from Lightning in 1999 | |||
| California Golden Seals/Cleveland Barons (defunct) | 1971 | 1(0) | Traded pick to Canadiens in 1971 | |||
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 2002 | 0(1) | Acquired pick from Panthers in 2002 | |||
| Philadelphia Flyers | 1975 | 0(1) | Acquired pick from Capitals in 1975 | |||
| Colorado Avalanche (formerly Quebec Nordiques) | 2013 | 4 | ||||
| New York Islanders | 2009 | 4 | ||||
| Edmonton Oilers | 2015 | 4 | 4 picks were awarded between the years 2010 and 2015; 3 of them awarded in consecutive years (2010, 2011, 2012) | |||
| Buffalo Sabres | 2021 | 4 | ||||
| Detroit Red Wings | 1986 | 3 | ||||
| Ottawa Senators | 1996 | 3 | ||||
| Dallas Stars (formerly Minnesota North Stars) | 1988 | 3 | ||||
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 2016 | 2 | ||||
| New York Rangers | 2020 | 2 | Held first overall pick in the 2020 draft despite taking part in the playoffs, whose format was changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. | |||
| Chicago Blackhawks | 2023 | 2 | ||||
| St. Louis Blues | 2006 | 1 | ||||
| Arizona Coyotes (inactive) (formerly Winnipeg Jets) | 1981 | 1 | ||||
| Los Angeles Kings | 1967 | 1 | ||||
| San Jose Sharks | 2024 | 1 | ||||
| Vancouver Canucks | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Anaheim Ducks | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Calgary Flames (formerly Atlanta Flames) | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Vegas Golden Knights | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Carolina Hurricanes | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Seattle Kraken | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Nashville Predators | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Minnesota Wild | N/A | 0 | ||||
| Utah Hockey Club | N/A | 0 |