Hockey In Europe
Every European hockey league is governed by its respective national federation. The clubs within these leagues are structured slightly different from their North American counterparts. Most senior clubs have associated junior and youth teams, allowing young players to develop their skills and remain with the same organization throughout their careers.
Unlike North American junior leagues, there are no regulations restricting European junior players from being recalled and assigned to teams at the various levels within a senior club's developmental system. Therefore, it is common for a talented junior to play with the club's junior, Division II and senior teams in a single season.
The natural progression in European hockey would see a player move from youth hockey to the junior level, then to Division 2 and then graduate to the senior Elite team. Russia is the only major European hockey nation without a separate junior league. Most Russian juniors play with their club’s second team. These second teams compete in the Russian third division.
It should be noted that some Division 2 and junior teams operate independently and without association with a senior club.
Europeans in the NHL Entry Draft
The National Hockey League has seen a dramatic increase of European-trained players over the past two decades. Of the 126 prospects selected in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, only six were Europeans (4.8%). In 1989, that number grew to 38 of 252 selections (15.1%). The 2000 NHL Entry Draft featured the largest European contingent in the history of the event as 123 players of the 293 drafted were European-born, representing 42% of the Draft.
Following is a listing of the highest-drafted European-trained players:
| Pick |
Player |
Country |
Year |
Drafted By |
| 1 |
Roman Hamrlik |
Czech. |
1992 |
Tampa Bay |
| 1 |
Mats Sundin |
Sweden |
1989 |
Quebec |
| 1 |
Patrik Stefan** |
Czech. |
1999 |
Atlanta |
| 1 |
Ilya Kovalchuk |
Russia |
2001 |
Atlanta |
| 1 |
Alexander Ovechkin |
Russia |
2004 |
Washington |
| 2 |
Petr Nedved* |
Czech. |
1990 |
Vancouver |
| 2 |
Alexei Yashin |
Russia |
1992 |
Ottawa |
| 2 |
Oleg Tverdovsky |
Russia |
1994 |
Anaheim |
| 2 |
Andrei Zyuzin |
Russia |
1996 |
San Jose |
| 2 |
Daniel Sedin |
Sweden |
1999 |
Vancouver |
| 2 |
Kari Lehtonen |
Finland |
2002 |
Atlanta |
| 2 |
Evgeni Malkin |
Russia |
2004 |
Pittsburgh |
| 3 |
Radek Bonk** |
Czech. |
1994 |
Ottawa |
| 3 |
Aki Berg |
Finland |
1995 |
Los Angeles |
| 3 |
Olli Jokinen |
Finland |
1997 |
Los Angeles |
| 3 |
Henrik Sedin |
Sweden |
1999 |
Vancouver |
| 3 |
Marian Gaborik |
Slovakia |
2000 |
Minnesota |
| 3 |
Alexander Svitov |
Russia |
2001 |
Tampa Bay |
| 4 |
Alexandre Volchkov** |
Russia |
1996 |
Washington |
| 4 |
Pavel Brendl** |
Czech. |
1999 |
NY Rangers |
| 4 |
Rostislav Klesla** |
Czech. |
2000 |
Columbus |
| 4 |
Joni Pitkanen |
Finland |
2002 |
Philadelphia |
| 4 |
Nikolai Zherdev |
Russia |
2003 |
Columbus |
| 4 |
Nicklas Backstrom |
Sweden |
2006 |
Washington |
| 5 |
Bjorn Johansson |
Sweden |
1976 |
California |
| 5 |
Petr Svoboda |
Czech. |
1984 |
Montreal |
| 5 |
Jaromir Jagr |
Czech. |
1990 |
Pittsburgh |
| 5 |
Darius Kasparaitis |
Russia |
1992 |
NY Islanders |
| 5 |
Stanislav Chistov |
Russia |
2001 |
Anaheim |
| * |
European-trained Canadian citizen drafted from a North American club |
| ** |
Drafted from a North American club |
Breaking New Ground – European Firsts
1969 – First European Draft Pick The first European-trained player to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft was Finnish-born left winger Tommi Salmelainen, 66th overall, by the St. Louis Blues.
1974 – First Swedish Selection Swedish-born center Per Alexandersson was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs, 49th overall, becoming the first Swedish player to be drafted into the NHL. There were five Swedish-born players selected in 1974, including defenseman Stefan Persson (214th overall, NY Islanders). Persson became the first European player to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup (four times, 1980-83).
1975 – First Russian Draft Pick The Philadelphia Flyers became the first NHL club to select a Russian player, picking center Viktor Khatulev, 160th overall.
1976 – First European Taken in the First Round The 1976 Draft saw the first European selected in the first round when the California Seals made Swedish defenseman Bjorn Johansson their first pick, fifth overall. Although he only played 15 games in the NHL, Johansson remained the highest European draft pick until 1989 (Mats Sundin, first overall).
1976 – First Swiss Player Selected Although Switzerland is just beginning to have an impact in international hockey, the country made its first inroads to the NHL in 1976 when the St. Louis Blues selected Swiss center Jacques Soguel, 121st overall.
1978 – First Czechoslovak in the Entry Draft The Detroit Red Wings made the first selection from the former Czechoslovakia, drafting left wing Ladislav Svozil, 194th overall.
1978 – First German Pick The first German players were also drafted into the NHL in 1978, with the Atlanta Flames' selection of goaltender Bernard Englbrecht, 196th overall, and St. Louis' choice of forward Gerd Truntschka, 200th overall.
Other European Draft Notes
- Sergei Priakin, the first Russian to play with permission in the NHL, was the last player drafted in 1988 —252nd overall—by Calgary.
- Viacheslav Fetisov was first selected by the Montreal Canadiens, 201st overall, in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft. Five years later, Fetisov was drafted again, this time by the New Jersey Devils (150th overall in 1983). He didn't play his first NHL season until 1989-90.
- Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak, renowned for his performance in the 1972 Summit Series and the 1981 Canada Cup, was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in 1983 (138th overall). Tretiak never appeared in an NHL game. He became the first Russian to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.
- Czech-born center Petr Nedved defected to Canada as a 16-year-old while playing in a Calgary midget tournament in 1988. He played one season with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL prior to being selected second overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. Nedved became the first European player to be drafted from Canadian major junior hockey.
- Anton Stastny was the only Stastny brother to be selected in an NHL Draft, first in 1978 by Philadelphia (198th overall) and again in 1979 by Quebec (83rd overall). Stastny entered the NHL for the 1980-81 season with brother Peter and was later joined by brother Marian in 1981-82.
- The 2001 Entry Draft saw forward Ilya Kovalchuk become the first Russian-born player to be selected first overall. He was the first of 13 Europeans to be picked in the first round, including five top ten selections.
- Finland’s Kari Lehtonen was selected 2nd overall in 2002, the highest selection for a European goaltender.