Fansided

The 10 most loaded draft classes in NHL history

By C.L. Kohuss

Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the ice during a road game, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 1984. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
Canadian hockey player Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins on the ice during a road game, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 1984. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images) /
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Canadian hockey player Brett Hull of the University of Minnesota-Duluth sits outside on a snowy concrete piling near Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge, 1985. The bridge was built in 1905 by engineers Thomas F. McGilvray and C. A. P. Turner. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
Canadian hockey player Brett Hull of the University of Minnesota-Duluth sits outside on a snowy concrete piling near Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge, 1985. The bridge was built in 1905 by engineers Thomas F. McGilvray and C. A. P. Turner. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images) /

4. 1984

If ever you were looking for the Costco of goal-scoring, 1984 might be it and in spades. You could buy drums of it with the players selected here.

First let’s look at the guys who aren’t as well-known as some of the others. Cliff Ronning went in Round 7, never made an All-Star game, but still managed to pop more than 300 goals and 800 points in 1,137 NHL contests. Scott Mellanby has similar numbers, playing in more than 1,400 games. Stephane Richer went two picks after and scored 421 goals, including two 50-goal campaigns with Montreal in the late ‘80s. Richer also won two Stanley Cups.

That alone is some pretty impressive talent, since none of those guys were picked in Round 1. Heck, if you want to get a little weird with it, Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer Tom Glavine was picked in Round 4. He chose baseball over hockey (good career choice), but many scouts believed he could have easily been a dynamo in the NHL.

Now let’s look at some of the other names that went that year: Mario Lemieux, Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, Patrick Roy, Eddie Olczyk, Gary Suter and the list goes on. Wrap your head around how awesome of a draft this was. Between Super Mario, Lucky Luc and the Golden Brett you’ll find more than 2,000 goals and so many trophies it would take an entirely separate article to list them.

What may be even crazier is that, while Lemieux went first overall, Hull and Robitaille were sixth- and ninth-round picks, respectively. Goaltender Roy went in Round 3 and won four Cups, three Vezinas and three Conn Smythe Trophies before entering the Hall of Fame with over 500 wins.

Kirk Muller and Olczyk went right after Lemieux and combined for 699 goals and defenseman Al Iafrate went fourth overall and made the All-Star game four times. You also don’t want to stand anywhere near his slapshot. Shayne Corson went to three All-Star games and played in over 1,100 matchups. Gary Roberts also went in Round 1 and won a Cup with the Calgary Flames while scoring over 400 goals. Gary Suter was a part of that Stanley Cup team too. He won the Calder Trophy, made four All-Star games and scored more than 800 points as a defenseman. Goaltender Darcy Wakaluk didn’t have too memorable of a career but that name alone gets him mention on this list. Hilarious. Not to mention the great Daryl Reaugh went to Edmonton at pick No. 42. You’ll never find a better commentator during a NHL fight.

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