Since the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, which saw Merritt Centennials forward Greg Agar make BC Hockey League history as the first ever player selected directly from the league, 171 BCHL players have heard their names called on draft day.
The banner day for the BC Hockey League 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.
All 17 active BCHL teams have had at least one player drafted directly from their club. The Cranbrook Bucks are the only franchise that hasn’t – which is understandable.
The Edmonton Oilers lead the way in selecting 15 players directly from the BC Hockey League during their history, with the New Jersey Devils second at 14 players followed by the Vancouver Canucks at 13 players.
The Buffalo Sabres and Seattle Kraken are the two NHL teams that have 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 Bluehawks – 1
- Burnaby Bulldogs – 1
- Burnaby Express – 3
- Chilliwack Chiefs – 13
- Coquitlam Express – 4
- Cowichan Valley Capitals – 5
- Cranbrook Bucks – 0
- Kelowna Buckaroos – 5
- Kelowna Spartans – 3
- Langley Chiefs – 2
- Langley Eagles – 1
- Langley Hornets – 3
- Langley Rivermen – 4
- Merritt Centennials – 6
- Nanaimo Clippers – 7
- New Westminster Royals – 1
- Penticton Knights – 15
- Penticton Panthers – 4
- Penticton Vees – 14
- Powell River Kings – 2
- Powell River Paper Kings – 6
- Prince George Spruce Kings – 4
- Quesnel Millionaires – 1
- Richmond Sockeyes – 4
- Salmon Arm Silverbacks – 10
- South Surrey Eagles – 3
- Summerland Buckaroos – 1
- Surrey Eagles – 5
- Trail Smoke Eaters – 4
- Vernon Lakers – 8
- Vernon Vipers – 13
- Victoria Grizzlies – 8
- Victoria Salsa – 3
- Wenatchee Wild – 2
- West Kelowna Warriors – 1
- Westside Warriors – 2
Number of BCHL players selected by NHL teams in the NHL Draft (alphabetically)
- Anaheim Ducks – 3
- Arizona Coyotes – 6
- Boston Bruins – 7
- Buffalo Sabres – 0
- Calgary Flames – 5
- California Seals – 1
- Carolina Hurricanes – 9
- Chicago Blackhawks – 7
- Colorado Avalanche – 7
- Columbus Blue Jackets – 2
- Dallas Stars – 4
- Detroit Red Wings – 5
- Edmonton Oilers – 15
- Florida Panthers – 4
- Los Angeles Kings – 6
- Minnesota Wild – 1
- Montreal Canadiens – 6
- Nashville Predators – 8
- New Jersey Devils – 14
- New York Islanders – 3
- New York Rangers – 3
- Ottawa Senators – 4
- Philadelphia Flyers – 3
- Pittsburgh Penguins – 5
- San Jose Sharks – 4
- Seattle Kraken – 0
- St. Louis Blues – 6
- Tampa Bay Lightning – 2
- Toronto Maple Leafs – 3
- Vancouver Canucks – 13
- Vegas Golden Knights – 2
- Washington Capitals – 5
- Winnipeg Jets – 8
