1969 NHL Amateur Draft

Queen Elizabeth HotelQuick Facts

Date: June 12, 1969

Site: The Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Host City: Montreal

Draft History

The seventh NHL Amateur Draft is commonly known as the first modern draft because it was the first that was not affected by the old sponsorship system. At the time, it was referred to as the first NHL Universal Amateur Draft because all junior players born before 1950 were eligible. Even European players could be drafted, although their national associations had to grant the drafting team permission to sign them. The St. Louis Blues were willing to take that chance, and as a result, the 1969 draft marked the first time a player was selected from a European team. This was also the first draft in which teams selected in reverse order of finish without divisional preferences, and it marked the last draft in which Montreal was given the cultural allowing it to select the first two French-Canadian players if it wanted.

 

The Basics

Eligible For Draft: All amateur players born before January 1, 1950.
Draft Order: Teams drafted in reverse order of 1968-69 finish.
Irregularities: Montreal had option to take first two French-Canadian players and used picks in place of regular picks in the first two rounds. There was no set number of rounds, but Original Six teams were not allowed to pick after the sixth round until all of the 1967 expansion teams had finished picking. Teams had the right to pass in any round, and the draft continued until all teams were done selecting.
Rotation: Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Oakland, St. Louis, Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Boston, New York, Chicago.
Total Rounds: Ten
Cost to Draft: Each of the first 72 drafted players cost $3,000, and the final 12 players cost $2,000 apiece. The money was paid as a lump sum of $240,000 to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association.
Draft Rights: Team could offer player contract at any time after draft.


Draft Recap

No. 1 pick: Rejean Houle (by Montreal)
Reached NHL: 49 players (58.3 percent)
Won Stanley Cup: Ten players (11.9 percent)
Most NHL Games: Bobby Clarke (1,144 games)
Most Playoff Games: Andre Dupont (140 games)
Highest Pick to Miss: No. 6 (Bob Currier)
Lowest Pick to Reach: No. 77 (Dave Pulkkinen)
Players Drafted: 84 (58 forwards,18 defense, 8 goalies)

SNAPSHOT '69
Total Selected: 84
Forwards: 58
Defense: 18
Goaltenders: 8
Major Junior: 68
College Players: 8
Canadian: 78
Euro-Canadian: 1
American: 4
European: 1
Reached NHL: 49
Won Stanley Cup: 10
Hall of Fame: 1
All-Star Game: 7
Year-end All-Star: 1
Olympians: 2
Picks Traded: 11