List of first overall NHL draft picks

200px|thumb|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. The draft has grown, and in 2021, 223 players were selected over seven rounds.
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. 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
Draft	Selected by 	Player	Nationality	Position 	Amateur/junior/former club 	League
1963 	Montreal Canadiens 	 	 	Forward 	St. Michael's Buzzers 	CJBHL
1964 	Detroit Red Wings 	¤ 	 	Forward 	Comité des jeunes (Rosemont)	QC Midget
1965 	New York Rangers 	¤ 	 	Forward 	Montreal Rangers Jr. B 	QC Jr. B
1966 	Boston Bruins 	 	 	Defenceman 	Estevan Bruins 	SJHL
1967 	Los Angeles Kings‡ 	¤ 	 	Defenceman 	Garson Native Sons 	NOHA
1968 	Montreal Canadiens 	 	 	Goaltender 	Drummondville Rangers 	QMJHL
1969 	Montreal Canadiens 	 	 	Forward 	Montreal Junior Canadiens 	OHA
1970 	Buffalo Sabres‡ 	# 	 	Forward 	Montreal Junior Canadiens 	OHA
1971 	Montreal Canadiens 	* 	 	Forward 	Quebec Remparts 	QMJHL
1972 	New York Islanders‡ 	 	 	Forward 	Peterborough Petes 	OHA
1973 	New York Islanders 	# 	 	Defenceman 	Ottawa 67's 	OHA
1974 	Washington Capitals 	 	 	Defenceman 	Regina Pats 	WCHL
1975 	Philadelphia Flyers 	 	 	Forward 	Victoria Cougars 	WCHL
1976 	Washington Capitals 	 	 	Defenceman 	London Knights 	OHA
1977 	Detroit Red Wings 	 	 	Forward 	Hamilton Fincups 	OHA
1978 	Minnesota North Stars	^ 	 	Forward 	Ottawa 67's 	OHA
1979 	Colorado Rockies 	 	 	Defenceman 	London Knights 	OHA
1980 	Montreal Canadiens 	 	 	Forward 	Regina Pats 	WHL
1981 	Winnipeg Jets 	# 	 	Forward 	Cornwall Royals 	QMJHL
1982 	Boston Bruins 	 	 	Defenceman 	Billings Bighorns 	WHL
1983 	Minnesota North Stars	 	 	Forward 	Mount Saint Charles Mounties	USHS-RI
1984 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	# 	 	Forward 	Laval Voisins 	QMJHL
1985 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	 	 	Defenceman 1	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL
1986 	Detroit Red Wings 	 	 	Forward 	Michigan State Spartans 	CCHA
1987 	Buffalo Sabres 	 	 	Forward 	Granby Bisons 	QMJHL
1988 	Minnesota North Stars	* 	 	Forward 	Prince Albert Raiders 	WHL
1989 	Quebec Nordiques 	* 	 	Forward 	Nacka HK 	Swe-2
1990 	Quebec Nordiques 	 	 	Forward 	Cornwall Royals 	OHL
1991 	Quebec Nordiques 	
 * 	 	Forward 	Oshawa Generals 	OHL
1992 	Tampa Bay Lightning‡ 	 	 	Defenceman 	HC Zlin 	CS-1HL
1993 	Ottawa Senators 	 	 	Forward 	Victoriaville Tigres 	QMJHL
1994 	Florida Panthers 	 	 	Defenceman 	Windsor Spitfires 	OHL
1995 	Ottawa Senators 	
 ^ 	 	Defenceman 	Detroit Junior Red Wings 	OHL
1996 	Ottawa Senators 	 	 	Defenceman 	Prince Albert Raiders 	WHL
1997 	Boston Bruins 	 	 	Forward 	Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds 	OHL
1998 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	 	 	Forward 	Rimouski Oceanic 	QMJHL
1999 	Atlanta Thrashers‡ 	 	 	Forward 	Long Beach Ice Dogs 	IHL
2000 	New York Islanders 	 	 	Goaltender 	Boston University Terriers 	HEA
2001 	Atlanta Thrashers 	 	 	Forward 	Spartak Moscow 	RUS-2
2002 	Columbus Blue Jackets	 	 	Forward 	London Knights 	OHL
2003 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	 	 	Goaltender 	Cape Breton Screaming Eagles	QMJHL
2004 	Washington Capitals 	^''' 	 	Forward 	Dynamo Moscow 	RSL
2005 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	 	 	Forward 	Rimouski Océanic 	QMJHL
2006 	St. Louis Blues 	 	 	Defenceman 	U.S. NTDP 	NAHL
2007 	Chicago Blackhawks 	^''' 	 	Forward 	London Knights 	OHL
2008 	Tampa Bay Lightning 	 	 	Forward 	Sarnia Sting 	OHL
2009 	New York Islanders 	 	 	Forward 	London Knights 	OHL
2010 	Edmonton Oilers 	 	 	Forward 	Windsor Spitfires 	OHL
2011 	Edmonton Oilers 	 	 	Forward 	Red Deer Rebels 	WHL
2012 	Edmonton Oilers 	 	 	Forward 	Sarnia Sting 	OHL
2013 	Colorado Avalanche 	^''' 	 	Forward 	Halifax Mooseheads 	QMJHL
2014 	Florida Panthers 	^''' 	 	Defenceman 	Barrie Colts 	OHL
2015 	Edmonton Oilers 	 	 	Forward 	Erie Otters 	OHL
2016 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	^''' 	 	Forward 	ZSC Lions 	NLA
2017 	New Jersey Devils 	 	 	Forward 	Halifax Mooseheads 	QMJHL
2018 	Buffalo Sabres 	 	 	Defenceman 	Frolunda HC 	SHL
2019 	New Jersey Devils 	 	 	Forward 	U.S. NTDP 	USHL
2020 	New York Rangers 	 	 	Forward 	Rimouski Océanic 	QMJHL
2021 	Buffalo Sabres 	 	 	Defenceman 	Michigan Wolverines 	Big Ten
2022 	Montreal Canadiens 	 	 	Forward 	HC TPS 	Liiga
;Notes
#Wendel Clark was drafted as a defenseman.
== See also== 
*WHA Amateur Draft
==References==
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Category:National Hockey League lists
Category:NHL Drafts