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| 1980 DRAFT QUICK FACTS |
DATE: JUNE 11, 1980
LOCATION: MONTREAL
FORUM |
| DRAFT HISTORY |
The second NHL Entry Draft was the first draft open for public viewing. Showing
how far it had come from the days of its secret, conference-call drafts of the
1970s, the NHL left the relative shelter of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel for the
fan-friendly atmosphere of the Montreal Forum. The 1980 draft was a major step
in the draft's evolution, because it showed the league's desire to make the
annual event a spectator sport, commanding attention that the NBA and NFL drafts
already had. The move paid off, as more than 2,500 fans showed up at the Forum.
Turnout was strong in large part because local hockey fans were eager to see
their hometown Canadiens make the No. 1 overall pick.
The other major change in 1980 was the NHL's decision, made one year earlier, to
draft 18-year-olds in 1980. This marked the first time in six years that the NHL
had allowed selection of players as young as 17 on draft day, and it set a
standard for all future drafts in terms of minimum age eligibility. Although the
major-junior leagues continued to protest this issue, the NHL was committed to
drafting 18-year-olds if only to avoid potential lawsuits from these players and
their agents.Two groups that immediately came under the draft radar because
of the lower minimum age were high school players in both the U.S. and Canada,
as well as Canadian Tier II junior players. A total of 15 players were taken
from these previously untapped talent pools, and over the years, the number
would continue to grow. Drafting younger players required NHL teams to scout
many more areas than were covered in the past, and this created amateur scouting
jobs across the league.
Another difference between the 1979 and 1980 drafts was the total number of rounds. After going six rounds in 1979, the NHL expanded
to 10 rounds and 210 players for 1980.
Because the 1980 draft was part of a transitional period from 20-year-old drafts
in the 1970s to the underage-draft years of the 1980s, it included a wide range
of players born from 1960 to 1962. As a result, several talented players were
available in late rounds, particularly older players who had been ignored in
1979 or were less attractive than the fresh 18-year-olds. In addition, many
talented European players were considered risky picks in the early rounds
because there was still an obvious bias against European hockey. Late-round
Euro-stars, good enough to go higher, included Jari Kurri in Round 4, Reijo
Ruotsalainen in Round 6, and Patrik Sundstrom and Hakan Loob in Round 9.
The big winners at the 1980 draft were teams like Boston, Calgary, Chicago,
Edmonton and Los Angeles which took advantage of the draft's diversity and made
some of their best picks in later rounds.
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| THE BASICS |
Eligible For Draft: All amateur players born between
January 1, 1960, and September 15, 1962.
Draft
Order: Teams drafted in reverse order of their 1979-80 finish.
Irregularities:
None
Rotation: Colorado, Winnipeg, Quebec, Detroit, Washington,
Edmonton, Vancouver, Hartford, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Toronto, St. Louis,
Calgary, N.Y. Rangers, Chicago, Minnesota, N.Y. Islanders, Boston, Montreal,
Buffalo, Philadelphia
Total Rounds: Ten
Cost to Draft: The NHL paid a lump sum to the CMJHL to support
major junior hockey as a whole.
Draft Rights: Team could offer
player contract at any time after draft, however, underage players would be
required to begin the 1980-81 season with their major-junior teams if they did
not make their NHL teams out of camp, and would only be available for
emergency recall. |
| DRAFT RECAP |
No. 1 pick: Doug Wickenheiser (by Montreal)
Reached
NHL: 132 players (62.8 percent)
Won Stanley Cup: 24 players
(11.4 percent)
Most NHL Games: Larry Murphy (1,615 games)
Most
Playoff Games: Larry Murphy (215 games)
Highest Pick to Miss:
No. 14 (Jim Malone)
Lowest Pick to Reach: No. 210 (Andy Brickley)
Players Drafted:
210 (122 forwards, 71 defense, 17 goalies) |
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SNAPSHOT '80 | | Total Selected: |
210 | | Forwards: |
122 | | Defense: |
71 | | Goaltenders: |
17 | | Major Junior: |
138 | | Tier II Junior: |
7 | | College Players: |
42 | | High School: |
8 |
| Canadian: |
159 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
35 | | U.S.-Born: |
35 |
| European: |
13 |
| Reached NHL: |
132 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
24 | | Hall of Fame: |
4 |
| All-Star Game: |
17 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
5 |
| Olympians: |
19 |
| Picks Traded: |
25 |
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