Since the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, which saw Merritt Centennials forward Greg Agar make British Columbia Hockey League history as the first-ever player selected directly from the league, 180 BCHL players have heard their names called on draft day.
The banner day for the BCHL was the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, where a dozen players were selected directly from the league, a representation of four percent of all players chosen in the draft that year.
The BCHL also celebrated a historic day in 2007, when Burnaby Express forward Kyle Turris was selected in the first round, third overall by the Phoenix Coyotes. It’s the highest position a player has ever been drafted directly from a BCHL team.
The Edmonton Oilers lead the way in selecting 15 players directly from the BCHL during their history, with the New Jersey Devils second at 14 players followed by the Vancouver Canucks at 13 players.
The Buffalo Sabres are the only NHL team that has never drafted a player directly from the BCHL.
Selections in the NHL Draft by BCHL team (alphabetically)
*current teams listed in bold
- Abbotsford Flyers – 1
- Alberni Valley Bulldogs – 1
- Burnaby Blue Hawks – 1
- Burnaby Bulldogs – 1
- Burnaby Express – 3
- Chilliwack Chiefs – 14
- Coquitlam Express – 4
- Cowichan Valley Capitals – 5
- Cranbrook Bucks – 1
- Kelowna Buckaroos/Spartans – 8
- Langley Chiefs – 2
- Langley Eagles – 1
- Langley Hornets – 3
- Langley Rivermen – 4
- Merritt Centennials – 6
- Nanaimo Clippers – 7
- New Westminster Royals – 1
- Penticton Knights/Panthers/Vees – 35
- Powell River Paper Kings/Kings – 8
- Prince George Spruce Kings – 4
- Quesnel Millionaires – 1
- Richmond Sockeyes – 4
- Salmon Arm Silverbacks – 11
- Summerland Buckaroos – 1
- Surrey Eagles – 8
- Trail Smoke Eaters – 4
- Vernon Lakers/Vipers – 21
- Victoria Salsa/Grizzlies – 13
- Wenatchee Wild – 3
- Westside/West Kelowna Warriors – 4
Number of BCHL players selected by NHL teams in the NHL Draft (alphabetically)
- Anaheim Ducks – 3
- Arizona Coyotes – 3
- Atlanta Thrashers – 5
- Boston Bruins – 6
- Buffalo Sabres – 0
- Calgary Flames – 7
- California Seals – 1
- Carolina Hurricanes – 8
- Chicago Blackhawks – 7
- Colorado Avalanche – 5
- Columbus Blue Jackets – 2
- Dallas Stars – 4
- Detroit Red Wings – 5
- Edmonton Oilers – 15
- Florida Panthers – 4
- Hartford Whalers – 2
- Los Angeles Kings – 6
- Minnesota Wild – 1
- Montreal Canadiens – 6
- Nashville Predators – 8
- New Jersey Devils – 14
- New York Islanders – 3
- New York Rangers – 4
- Ottawa Senators – 7
- Philadelphia Flyers – 3
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 5
- Quebec Nordiques – 2
- San Jose Sharks – 5
- Seattle Kraken – 1
- St. Louis Blues – 6
- Tampa Bay Lightning – 2
- Toronto Maple Leafs – 3
- Utah Hockey Club – 0
- Vancouver Canucks – 13
- Vegas Golden Knights – 3
- Washington Capitals – 5
- Winnipeg Jets – 3
- Winnipeg Jets (old) – 3
