List of first overall NHL draft picks

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]

Aaron Ekblad, the first player taken in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

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.

First overall picks

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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 Garry Monahan   Canada Forward St. Michael's Buzzers CJBHL
1964 Detroit Red Wings Claude Gauthier ¤   Canada Forward Comité des jeunes (Rosemont) QC Midget
1965 New York Rangers Andre Veilleux ¤   Canada Forward Montreal Rangers Jr. B QC Jr. B
1966 Boston Bruins Barry Gibbs   Canada Defenceman Estevan Bruins SJHL
1967 Los Angeles Kings Rick Pagnutti ¤   Canada Defenceman Garson Native Sons NOHA
1968 Montreal Canadiens Michel Plasse   Canada Goaltender Drummondville Rangers QMJHL
1969 Montreal Canadiens Rejean Houle   Canada Forward Montreal Junior Canadiens OHA
1970 Buffalo Sabres Gilbert Perreault #   Canada Forward Montreal Junior Canadiens OHA
1971 Montreal Canadiens Guy Lafleur *   Canada Forward Quebec Remparts QMJHL
1972 New York Islanders Billy Harris   Canada Forward Peterborough Petes OHA
1973 New York Islanders Denis Potvin #   Canada Defenceman Ottawa 67's OHA
1974 Washington Capitals Greg Joly   Canada Defenceman Regina Pats WCHL
1975 Philadelphia Flyers Mel Bridgman   Canada Forward Victoria Cougars WCHL
1976 Washington Capitals Rick Green   Canada Defenceman London Knights OHA
1977 Detroit Red Wings Dale McCourt   Canada Forward Hamilton Fincups OHA
1978 Minnesota North Stars Bobby Smith ^   Canada Forward Ottawa 67's OHA
1979 Colorado Rockies Rob Ramage   Canada Defenceman London Knights OHA
1980 Montreal Canadiens Doug Wickenheiser   Canada Forward Regina Pats WHL
1981 Winnipeg Jets Dale Hawerchuk #   Canada Forward Cornwall Royals QMJHL
1982 Boston Bruins Gord Kluzak   Canada Defenceman Billings Bighorns WHL
1983 Minnesota North Stars Brian Lawton   United States Forward Mount Saint Charles Mounties USHS-RI
1984 Pittsburgh Penguins Mario Lemieux #   Canada Forward Laval Voisins QMJHL
1985 Toronto Maple Leafs Wendel Clark   Canada Defenceman1 Saskatoon Blades WHL
1986 Detroit Red Wings Joe Murphy   Canada Forward Michigan State Spartans CCHA
1987 Buffalo Sabres Pierre Turgeon *   Canada Forward Granby Bisons QMJHL
1988 Minnesota North Stars Mike Modano *   United States Forward Prince Albert Raiders WHL
1989 Quebec Nordiques Mats Sundin *   Sweden Forward Nacka HK Swe-2
1990 Quebec Nordiques Owen Nolan   Canada Forward Cornwall Royals OHL
1991 Quebec Nordiques Eric Lindros *   Canada Forward Oshawa Generals OHL
1992 Tampa Bay Lightning Roman Hamrlik   Czechoslovakia Defenceman HC Zlin CS-1HL
1993 Ottawa Senators Alexandre Daigle   Canada Forward Victoriaville Tigres QMJHL
1994 Florida Panthers Ed Jovanovski   Canada Defenceman Windsor Spitfires OHL
1995 Ottawa Senators Bryan Berard ^   United States Defenceman Detroit Junior Red Wings OHL
1996 Ottawa Senators Chris Phillips   Canada Defenceman Prince Albert Raiders WHL
1997 Boston Bruins Joe Thornton   Canada Forward Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHL
1998 Tampa Bay Lightning Vincent Lecavalier   Canada Forward Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL
1999 Atlanta Thrashers Patrik Stefan   Czech Republic Forward Long Beach Ice Dogs IHL
2000 New York Islanders Rick DiPietro   United States Goaltender Boston University Terriers HEA
2001 Atlanta Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuk   Russia Forward Spartak Moscow RUS-2
2002 Columbus Blue Jackets Rick Nash   Canada Forward London Knights OHL
2003 Pittsburgh Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury   Canada Goaltender Cape Breton Screaming Eagles QMJHL
2004 Washington Capitals Alexander Ovechkin ^   Russia Forward Dynamo Moscow RSL
2005 Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby   Canada Forward Rimouski Océanic QMJHL
2006 St. Louis Blues Erik Johnson   United States Defenceman U.S. NTDP NAHL
2007 Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane ^   United States Forward London Knights OHL
2008 Tampa Bay Lightning Steven Stamkos   Canada Forward Sarnia Sting OHL
2009 New York Islanders John Tavares   Canada Forward London Knights OHL
2010 Edmonton Oilers Taylor Hall   Canada Forward Windsor Spitfires OHL
2011 Edmonton Oilers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins   Canada Forward Red Deer Rebels WHL
2012 Edmonton Oilers Nail Yakupov   Russia Forward Sarnia Sting OHL
2013 Colorado Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon ^   Canada Forward Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL
2014 Florida Panthers Aaron Ekblad ^   Canada Defenceman Barrie Colts OHL
2015 Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid   Canada Forward Erie Otters OHL
2016 Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews ^   United States Forward ZSC Lions NLA
2017 New Jersey Devils Nico Hischier    Switzerland Forward Halifax Mooseheads QMJHL
2018 Buffalo Sabres Rasmus Dahlin   Sweden Defenceman Frolunda HC SHL
2019 New Jersey Devils Jack Hughes   United States Forward U.S. NTDP USHL
2020 New York Rangers Alexis Lafreniere   Canada Forward Rimouski Océanic QMJHL
2021 Buffalo Sabres Owen Power   Canada Defenceman Michigan Wolverines Big Ten
2022 Montreal Canadiens Juraj Slafkovsky   Slovakia Forward HC TPS Liiga
2023 Chicago Blackhawks Connor Bedard ^   Canada Forward Regina Pats WHL
2024 San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini ^   Canada Forward Boston University Terriers Hockey East
Notes
  1. Wendel Clark was drafted as a defenceman

First overall picks by team

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Color key
  Has never been awarded a first overall pick
  Franchise is defunct
Team Last #1 overall pick Total picks awarded/made 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 1982

Traded 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 2003

Traded 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

See also

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References

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General
  • "Entry Draft Historic First selections". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  • "NHL Entry Draft–All-time first-overall picks". Slam! Sports. Archived from the original on 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2008-06-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  • "All-time No. 1 draft picks". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  • "Calder Memorial Trophy". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2006-04-23. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  • "List of honored Players". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
  • "50 Years of the 1st pick". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2012-06-19.
Specific
  1. ^ "NHL Draft History". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 2001-01-28. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
  2. ^ "NHL Draft History–2021 Stats". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  3. ^ Kreiser, John (2011-06-24). "Inside the Draft numbers". National Hockey League. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  4. ^ "HHOF Time Capsure–The 1960s–10 High Draft Picks That Failed To Pan Out". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 2003-08-23. Retrieved 2008-06-20.