List of first overall NHL draft picks
The list of total first in the NHL Entry Draft lists all the players who ( until 1978 Amateur Draft ) of the North American Hockey League professional National Hockey League ( NHL ) were selected in the first round in the first position within the NHL Entry Draft. Through the Draft NHL franchises have the opportunity to secure the transfer of rights to young talent from the amateur and youth who meet the eligibility requirements of the league. With the Erstwahlrecht the strongest players of each age group is usually selected. In another part of the list is evaluated statistically.
Yellowish -backed players stand during the current season in the squad of NHL teams. The statistics currently in the squad players are on the level at the end of the regular season 2011/12. Greenish -backed players during the current season, although active, but are currently not in the squad of NHL teams. Since 1963, a total of 49 players were selected at the first position overall, of which 46 in the NHL were used.
NHL Amateur Draft ( 1963 to 1968 )
The NHL Amateur Draft was first held on 5 June 1963. Their six franchises in the NHL, the so-called Original Six, it had the opportunity to secure the transfer of rights to the top players who were older than 17 years and have not been funded by a NHL team.
In the first six years, the club secured the rights to a total of 122 players, which were about 20 per year selected from one of the franchises. Of the six total first who all came from Canada, managed only three to one use in the NHL.
Abbreviations: Pos = Position, GP = Games, B = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalty minutes Notes: The links to the columns of "nationality " and " position " are to be found in the statistics section.
NHL Amateur Draft and the NHL Entry Draft (since 1969)
With the expansion of the NHL also the NHL Amateur Draft developed. From the year 1969 were the now twelve teams in the league capable of every player who was younger than 20, select in the draft. As a result of this change in the first year were 84 players selected more than four times as many as in previous years, on average. In 1979, the Amateur Draft was renamed Entry Draft in.
Of the 43 players who were selected since the reform at the first overall position, so far all came to inserts in the NHL. As a last managed the first choice can the vintage of 2011, Ryan Nugent -Hopkins, the jump in the league. With Brian Lawton, an American, and thus the first non -Canadian was selected as the first first time in 1983. The Swede Mats Sundin, 1989 was the first European who was bestowed this honor. The transfer of rights to his person secured the Quebec Nordiques. The first keeper was selected with the Americans Rick DiPietro in 2000 by the New York Islanders. Previously, only Michel Plasse in the edition of the year 1968, and thus before the new draft regulation, came as a goalkeeper with the first draft law to an NHL club.
Abbreviations: Pos = Position, GP = Games, B = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalty minutes Notes: The links to the columns of "nationality " and " position " are to be found in the statistics section.
Statistics
Generally
Approximately 77.5 % of the 49 selected in the first Gesamtpositon player is from Canada. Then with the United States, Russia, Czech Republic and Sweden follow only four other nations from their country at least one player managed to get elected first. Far behind were mostly center forward, so-called center drawn. Most draft rights to the beginning of the Canadiens de Montréal Drafts had a total of five.
Player
As the most successful and best player is considered the Canadian Mario Lemieux, who was selected in the NHL Entry Draft in 1984 by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He holds each with a wide margin the best statistical values among the 49 players. He also won a total of 17 individual trophies, including six Art Ross Trophies, four Lester B. Pearson Awards, three Hart Memorial Trophies and two Conn Smythe Trophies.