| Round | Overall |
| 3 | 30 |
Ralph Hopiavuori
Selected by
Detroit from Toronto (OHA)
 |
 |
6-foot-1, 185 pounds
Left-hand shot
Defense
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1968-69 | Kitchener | OHA | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
| 1968-70 | Kitchener | OHA | 42 | 3 | 17 | 20 | 94 |
| 1970-71 | Kit.-Toronto | OHA | 39 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 137 |
Pre-Draft Notes
Traded by Kitchener to Toronto for Chris Meloff on Jan. 8, 1971.
Canadian • Born July 15, 1951
in Kirkland Lake, Ontario • Hometown: Kirkland Lake, Ontario
NEVER PLAYED IN NHL
After the Draft
- Attended Detroit's 1971 training camp, playing in two exhibition
games against St. Louis and Minnesota.
- Missed part of
1971-72 season with broken hand, an injury suffered while playing
for Port Huron (IHL).
- Won IHL Turner Cup with Port Huron in 1972.
- Signed WHA contract with Cleveland on Aug. 9, 1972.
- Played on first Cleveland Crusaders team in WHA's inaugural 1972-73 season.
- Missed part of 1972-73 season with fractured cheekbone, an injury suffered
while playing for Cleveland (WHA).
- WHA rights sold by Cleveland to Cincinnati on May 21, 1974.
- Loaned by Cincinnati (WHA) to Indianapolis (WHA) on July 8, 1974, for
1974-75 season since Cincinnati was not due to enter league until 1975-76
season.
- Missed part of 1974-75 season with knee injury, suffered during Indianapolis' Dec. 8, 1974, WHA game vs. San Diego.
Miscellaneous
Nickname: "Hoppy"
Notable: Spelling of last name listed incorrectly as "Hopiavouri"
or "Hopiavari" during career.
Post-Draft Teams: Port Huron (IHL); Cleveland (WHA); Jacksonville (AHL); Mohawk Valley (NAHL); Indianapolis (WHA);
Roanoke Valley (SHL); Cambridge (OHA Sr.)
Career Beyond Hockey: Returned
to the Kitchener, Ontario, area after his retirement, and worked for
many years as a police officer in Waterloo, Ontario. He later went into
the private security business.
Family: Father of former
junior and Canadian college player Chris Hopiavuori and former Canadian
Tier II player Jasen Hopiavuori.
| SNAPSHOT '71 | |
| Total Selected: | 117 |
| Forwards: | 63 |
| Defense: | 45 |
| Goaltenders: | 9 |
| Major Junior: | 84 |
| College Players: | 19 |
| Canadian: | 107 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 2 |
| American: | 8 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 50 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 5 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 10 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 5 |
| Olympians: | 4 |
| Picks Traded: | 18 |
| 1971 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | California |
| Chicago | Detroit | Los Angeles |
| Minnesota | Montreal | New York |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1971