Most NHL Nr. 1 picks in one game

[alko]

Last game between Oilers and Devisl had 5.

What is the record?

Click to read more...

 

[Staniowski]

I don't know the answer, but in '82-'83, the Habs had 4 (Lafleur, Houle, Wickenheiser, Green) and the Sabres had 2 (Perreault, McCourt). Did they all play in the same game?

The following season the Habs also had 4 - delete Houle, add Smith.

 

[brachyrynchos]

I've only found a few 5's, not sure if they all played against each other...
2002-03 Isles had 3 former 1st round picks (Yashin, Hamrlik, and DiPietro), Atlanta had 2 (Kovalchuk, Stefan), Dallas had 2 (Modano, Turgeon) and Pittsburgh had 2 as well (Daigle, Lemieux). It doesn't yet look like any other team had 3. (A few close but no cigar 2nd overall picks with Muller w/ DAL and Heatley w/ ATL).
2005-2006 Stars had 3 (Stefan, Modano, Lindros). Columbus and the Isles each had 2 that year. (Nash, Berard, and Yashin, DiPietro).

 

[vikash1987]

Another game with 5 was New Jersey's opener to the 2017-18 season vs. Colorado

New Jersey (2)
Taylor Hall (1st overall, 2010)
Nico Hischier (1st overall, 2017)

Colorado (3)
Nathan MacKinnon (1st overall, 2013)
Erik Johnson (1st overall, 2006)
Nail Yakupov (1st overall, 2012)

* This game also had a 2nd (Gabriel Landeskog) and a 3rd (Matt Duchene)

 

[vikash1987]

I don't know the answer, but in '82-'83, the Habs had 4 (Lafleur, Houle, Wickenheiser, Green) and the Sabres had 2 (Perreault, McCourt). Did they all play in the same game?

I did a quick check of the game logs. By the looks of it, no.

I've only found a few 5's, not sure if they all played against each other...
2002-03 Isles had 3 former 1st round picks (Yashin, Hamrlik, and DiPietro), Atlanta had 2 (Kovalchuk, Stefan), Dallas had 2 (Modano, Turgeon) and Pittsburgh had 2 as well (Daigle, Lemieux). It doesn't yet look like any other team had 3. (A few close but no cigar 2nd overall picks with Muller w/ DAL and Heatley w/ ATL).
2005-2006 Stars had 3 (Stefan, Modano, Lindros). Columbus and the Isles each had 2 that year. (Nash, Berard, and Yashin, DiPietro).

Yashin was actually a 2nd overall pick

 

[VanIslander]

2002-03 Isles had 3 former 1st round picks (Yashin, Hamrlik, and DiPietro), Atlanta had 2 (Kovalchuk, Stefan)...

Ew. Just ew.

 

[brachyrynchos]

Ew. Just ew.

Yeah, I'm embarrassed by my gaffe. Ew is right, although P-u (puteo, Latin for stench) and poo would apply as well.

 

[vikash1987]

A January 1991 game between Quebec and Toronto featured five 1st overall picks. Quebec had three: Lafleur ('71), Sundin ('89) and Nolan ('90). Toronto had two: Ramage ('79) and Clark ('85).

Similarly, a February 1991 game between Quebec and Minnesota featured five. Minnesota had Smith ('78) and Modano ('88).

 

[Michael Farkas]

Found another fiver...

10/15/13 - Edm/Pit: Fleury, Crosby; Hall, Nugent-Hopkins, Yakupov

We'll have another when NJ plays Toronto this year probably (Hall, Hischier, Hughes vs. Matthews, Tavares)

 

[VanIslander]

I knew I should've looked for a Yakupov with the two better Oiler 1sts in games against.

Good one Farkas.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Another one might be during the 05/06 season:

PIT: Lemieux, Crosby, Fleury

ATL: Kovalchuk, Stefan

 

[Michael Farkas]

I looked there, Fleury didn't play in either game.

 

[vikash1987]

I'm struggling to find a game in which there were six in the lineup.

A bit off topic, but an interesting side note: Rob Ramage ('79) played with a fellow 1st overall pick on six different teams. I've gotta think that's a record.

Colorado (Michel Plasse, '68)
St. Louis (Doug Wickenheiser, '80)
Toronto (Wendel Clark, '85)
Minnesota (Bobby Smith, '78, and Mike Modano, '88)
Tampa Bay (Roman Hamrlik, '92)
Philadelphia (Eric Lindros, '91)

 

[VanIslander]

A better question: what draft position has resulted in the most good players playing in a match up?

2nd overall?
3rd overall?

There MUST be five or six players in an NHL game at the same draft position better than the mostly garbage 5 1sts overalls.

 

[mrhockey193195]

The 15-16 Oilers had four on their team (McDavid, Yakupov, Hall, RNH), so I imagine there must be a game with six involving them?

EDIT: it seems like the only hope for that was their games with Pittsburgh (Crosby & Fleury), but Fleury didn't play in either of them.

 

[Sanf]

Slightly more obscure from 1998-1999. February game between Sharks and Lightning.

Lightning had Wendell Clark, Vincent Lecavalier and Alex Daigle.
Sharks had Owen Nolan and Joe Murphy

Featuring also 2. overall Patrick Marleau and 3. overall Chris Gratton.

edit. Same Lightning trio faced Maple Leafs with Berard and Sundin.

 

[Sanf]

The 15-16 Oilers had four on their team (McDavid, Yakupov, Hall, RNH), so I imagine there must be a game with six involving them?

EDIT: it seems like the only hope for that was their games with Pittsburgh (Crosby & Fleury), but Fleury didn't play in either of them.

I checked those too, but McDavid missed actually both Pittsburgh games due to his injury. It´s rather bad luck that in every Colorado (Johnson, McKinnon) vs. Edmonton game there was someone missing.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

joly, mccourt, lafleur, houle, and wickenheiser in 1981

 

[the4thlinegrinder]

WSH @ EDM 10/23/15 had 5. RNH, Hall, McDavid, Yakupov, Ovi.

EDM @ COL 02/20/16 had 5. Hall, McDavid, Yakupov, MacKinnon, Johnson. RNH didn’t play that game.

COL @ EDM 03/26/15 had 5. Hall, McDavid, Yakupov, RNH, Johnson. McKinnon didn’t play that game.

Only chance for a 6 1st overall game with the 2015/16 Oilers would’ve been vs Colorado or Pittsburgh I believe. Unfortunately McDavid missed over half the season and RNH also missed time later in the year.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

there's this game here Atlanta Thrashers at Pittsburgh Penguins Box Score — October 27, 2005 | Hockey-Reference.com

stefan, kovalchuk, mario, crosby. but i think MAF was in the minors still.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

here's a bunch of wacky 4s from the 2003 season

daigle, mario, thornton, berard Boston Bruins at Pittsburgh Penguins Box Score — November 30, 2002 | Hockey-Reference.com

hamrlik, dipietro, sundin, nolan New York Islanders at Toronto Maple Leafs Box Score — March 18, 2003 | Hockey-Reference.com

stefan, kovalchuk, turgeon, modano Atlanta Thrashers at Dallas Stars Box Score — December 13, 2002 | Hockey-Reference.com

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

ok my last one.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs Box Score — March 9, 1999 | Hockey-Reference.com

clark, daigle, lecavalier, sundin, berard

 

[vikash1987]

I've gone ahead and listed ALL the examples in which teams had more than one 1st overall pick over the course of a season. In many of these cases, the players didn't overlap (i.e. they didn't suit up in the same games).

The teams with 3 or 4 1st overall picks are highlighted. Based on this, and the game logs, I think 5's the record.

 

[JianYang]

I don't know the answer, but in '82-'83, the Habs had 4 (Lafleur, Houle, Wickenheiser, Green) and the Sabres had 2 (Perreault, McCourt). Did they all play in the same game?

The following season the Habs also had 4 - delete Houle, add Smith.

I'm a bit confused how the French rights worked for Montreal. My understanding was that the Habs only got to select these guys after the draft was completed, but I do see that Houle was picked first overall.

I remember reading something that the Habs never got much of anything under French rights provision, except for houle, but now it seems he went through the regular draft?

 

[Staniowski]

I'm a bit confused how the French rights worked for Montreal. My understanding was that the Habs only got to select these guys after the draft was completed, but I do see that Houle was picked first overall.

I remember reading something that the Habs never got much of anything under French rights provision, except for houle, but now it seems he went through the regular draft?

I think Houle and Tardif were drafted by the Habs under that provision, 1st and 2nd overall.

And that was the final year of these special rights for Montreal. So they missed out on Gilbert Perreault in 1970.