Location: Memorial Auditorium Dates: June 22, 1991 First Overall Pick: Eric Lindros (Quebec Nordiques)Players with NHL Experience: 113
The 1991 NHL entry draft was the 29th NHL entry draft. It was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo, New York. A total of 264 players were drafted. The worst team in the previous 1990–91 season, the Quebec Nordiques, was given the first overall pick while the expansion San Jose Sharks held the second overall pick.
The draft was famous for the controversy surrounding star first overall draft pick, touted by some observers to be The Next One, Eric Lindros , who was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques but immediately refused to sign a contract. What followed (in 1992) was one of the biggest trades in NHL history, which the Philadelphia Flyers used to acquire Lindros, in the process trading away future superstar Peter Forsberg .
The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Ray Whitney , who retired after the 2013–14 season, he also led the entire draft in games played (1,330), as well as points (1,064).
Biggest Steals of the 1991 NHL Draft
Igor Ulanov (Winnipeg Jets- 203rd Overall)
162 points in 739 career games
Dmitri Mironov (Toronto Maple Leafs – 160th Overall)
260 points in 556 career games
1998 Stanley Cup winner
Sean O’Donnell (Buffalo Sabres – 123rd Overall)
229 points in 1,224 career games
2007 Stanley Cup winner
Biggest Busts of the 1991 NHL Draft
Brent Bilodeau (Montreal Canadiens – 17th Overall)
Niklas Sundblad (Calgary Flames – 19th Overall)
0 points in 2 career games
1991 NHL Draft Selections by Round
Round 1
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 1 C Eric Lindros Oshawa Generals (OHL) 2 RW Pat Falloon Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 3 D Scott Niedermayer Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 4 D Scott Lachance Boston University (H-East) 5 D Aaron Ward Michigan (CCHA) 6 C Peter Forsberg MoDo Hockey (Sweden) 7 RW Alek Stojanov Dukes of Hamilton (OHL) 8 D Richard Matvichuk Saskatoon Blades (WHL) 9 C Patrick Poulin St. Hyacinthe Laser (QMJHL) 10 RW Martin Lapointe Laval Titan (QMJHL) 11 C Brian Rolston Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL) 12 C Tyler Wright Swift Current Broncos (WHL) 13 D Philippe Boucher Granby Bisons (QMJHL) 14 C Pat Peake Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (OHL) 15 RW Alex Kovalev Dynamo Moskva (Soviet) 16 LW Markus Naslund MoDo Hockey (Sweden) 17 D Brent Bilodeau Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 18 RW Glen Murray Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 19 RW Niklas Sundblad AIK (Sweden) 20 LW Martin Rucinsky HC Litvinov (Czechoslovakia) 21 LW Trevor Halverson North Bay Centennials (OHL) 22 C Dean McAmmond Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Canadian ice hockey player Eric Lindros (right) shakes hands with an unidentified man following his first round, first place selection by the Quebec Nordiques in the NHL Entry Draft at Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York, June 22, 1991. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
Round 2
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 23 LW Ray Whitney Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 24 LW Rene Corbet Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) 25 D Eric Lavigne Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) 26 RW Ziggy Palffy AC/HC Nitra (Czechoslovakia) 27 D Steve Staios Niagara Falls Thunder (OHL) 28 RW Jim Campbell Lawrence Academy (High-MA) 29 D Jassen Cullimore Peterborough Petes (OHL) 30 D Sandis Ozolinsh Dinamo Riga (Soviet) 31 D Martin Hamrlik AC Ziln (Czechoslovakia) 32 D Jamie Pushor Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 33 LW Donevan Hextall Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 34 G Andrew Verner Peterborough Petes (OHL) 35 RW Jason Dawe Peterborough Petes (OHL) 36 C Jeff Nelson Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 37 D Darcy Werenka Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 38 C Rusty Fitzgerald Duluth East HS (High-MN) 39 C Michael Pomichter Springfield (NEJHL) 40 C Jozef Stumpel AC/HC Nitra (Czechoslovakia) 41 D Francois Groleau Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) 42 C Guy Leveque Cornwall Royals (OHL) 43 C Craig Darby Albany Academy (High-NY) 44 C Jamie Matthews Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
RALEIGH, NC – DECEMBER 21: Ray Whitney #13 of the Phoenix Coyotes watches action on the ice during an NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes on December 21, 2011 at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
Round 3
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 45 C Dody Wood Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 46 D Rich Brennan Tabor Academy (High-MA) 47 C Yanic Perreault Trois-Rivieres Draveurs (QMJHL) 48 G Jamie McLennan Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 49 D Dmitri Filimonov Dynamo Moskva (Soviet) 50 LW Yanick Dupre Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) 51 C Sean Pronger Bowling Green (CCHA) 52 RW Sandy McCarthy Laval Titan (QMJHL) 53 LW Todd Hall Hamden HS (High-CT) 54 G Chris Osgood Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) 55 C Fredrik Bremberg Djurgardens IF (Sweden) 56 RW George Breen Cushing Academy (High-MA) 57 LW Jason Young Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 58 LW Steve Konowalchuk Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) 59 C Michael Nylander Huddinge IK (Sweden-2) 60 D Shane Peacock Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 61 LW Yves Sarault St. Jean Lynx (QMJHL) 62 G Marcel Cousineau Beauport Harfangs (QMJHL) 63 LW Brian Caruso Minnesota-Duluth (WCHA) 64 RW Kyle Reeves Tri-City Americans (WHL) 65 C Nathan LaFayette Cornwall Royals (OHL) 66 RW Bobby House Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Michael Nylander (Anders H Foto/sv.wikipedia.org)
Round 4
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 67 D Kerry Toporowski Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 68 D Dave Karpa Ferris State (CCHA) 69 C Terry Chitaroni Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 70 G Milan Hnilicka TJ Kladno (Czechoslovakia) 71 D Igor Kravchuk CSKA Moskva (Soviet) 72 LW Peter Ambroziak Ottawa 67’s (OHL) 73 LW Vladimir Vujtek Tri-City Americans (WHL) 74 G Mike Torchia Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 75 LW Jim Storm Michigan Tech (WCHA) 76 RW Mike Knuble Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings (NAHL) 77 D Bradley Willner Richfield HS (High-MN) 78 LW Mario Nobili Longueuil College-Francais (QMJHL) 79 LW Keith Redmond Bowling Green (CCHA) 80 C Justin Morrison Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) 81 D Alexei Zhitnik Sokol Kiev (Soviet) 82 C Joe Tamminen Virginia HS (High-MN) 83 D Sylvain Lapointe Clarkson (ECAC) 84 D Brad Tiley Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 85 C Steven Magnusson Anoka HS (High-MN) 86 D Aris Brimanis Bowling Green (CCHA) 87 C Grayden Reid Owen Sound Platers (OHL) 88 RW Zac Boyer Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
Alexei Zhitnik, Buffalo Sabres (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
Round 5
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 89 G Dan Ryder Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 90 G Patrick Labrecque St. Jean Lynx (QMJHL) 91 C Juha Ylonen Kiekko-Espoo (Finland-2) 92 LW Steve Junker Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 93 C Ryan Haggerty Westminster School (High-CT) 94 G Yanick Degrace Trois-Rivieres Draveurs (QMJHL) 95 RW Dan Kesa Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 96 D Corey Machanic Vermont (ECAC) 97 C Mike Kennedy British Columbia (CIAU) 98 D Dimitri Motkov CSKA Moskva (Soviet) 99 RW Yan Kaminsky Dynamo Moskva (Soviet) 100 D Brad Layzell RPI (ECAC) 101 G Steve Shields Michigan (CCHA) 102 C Alexei Kudashov Krylia Sovetov Moskva (Soviet) 103 RW Bill Lindsay Tri-City Americans (WHL) 104 D Robert Melanson Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) 105 RW Tony Prpic Culver Military Academy (High-IN) 106 RW Mariusz Czerkawski GKS Tychy (Poland) 107 G Jerome Butler Roseau HS (High-MN) 108 G Pauli Jaks HC Ambri-Piotta (Swiss) 109 G Jeff Callinan Minnetonka HS (High-MN) 110 D Maco Balkovec Merritt (BCJHL)
Round 6
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 111 C Frank Nilsson Vasteras IK (Sweden) 112 LW Kevin St. Jacques Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 113 LW Jeff Perry Owen Sound Platers (OHL) 114 RW Rob Valicevic Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL) 115 D Jeff Sebastian Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 116 RW Clayton Norris Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) 117 D Evgeny Namestnikov Torpedo Gorky (Soviet) 118 RW Mark Lawrence Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (OHL) 119 RW Mike Harding Northern Michigan (WCHA) 120 C Alexander Kuzminsky Sokol Kiev (Soviet) 121 RW Curt Regnier Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 122 D Dmitry Yushkevich Torpedo Yaroslavl (Soviet) 123 D Sean O’Donnell Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 124 C Brian Holzinger Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL) 125 RW Fredrik Jax Leksands IF (Sweden) 126 C Brian Clifford Nichols School (High-NY) 127 RW Oleg Petrov CSKA Moskva (Soviet) 128 D Barry Young Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 129 D Bobby Marshall Miami (Ohio) (CCHA) 130 C Brett Seguin Ottawa 67’s (OHL) 131 RW Bruce Gardiner Colgate (ECAC) 132 D Jacques Auger Wisconsin (WCHA)
Round 7
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 133 LW Jaroslav Otevrel AC Ziln (Czechoslovakia) 134 C Mikael Johansson Djurgardens IF (Sweden) 135 RW Martin Prochazka TJ Kladno (Czechoslovakia) 136 C Andreas Johansson Falu IF (Sweden-2) 137 G Geoff Finch Brown (ECAC) 138 RW Andrei Lomakin Dynamo Moskva (Soviet) 139 LW Brent Thurston Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 140 LW Matt Hoffman Oshawa Generals (OHL) 141 D Brian Mueller South Kent Prep (High-CT) 142 D Igor Malykhin CSKA Moskva (Soviet) 143 D David Craievich Oshawa Generals (OHL) 144 RW David Oliver Michigan (CCHA) 145 D Chris Snell Ottawa 67’s (OHL) 146 LW Dave Morissette Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) 147 C John Rushin Bloomington Kennedy HS (High-MN) 148 RW Ed Patterson Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 149 C Brady Kramer Haverford School (High-PA) 150 LW Gary Golczewski Trinity-Pawling School (High-NY) 151 C Kelly Harper Michigan State (CCHA) 152 C Kelly Fairchild Grand Rapids HS (High-MN) 153 D Terry Hollinger Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 154 RW Scott Kirton Powell River (BCJHL)
Round 8Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 155 RW Dean Grillo Warroad HS (High-MN) 156 D Janne Laukkanen Hockey Reipas (Finland) 157 C Aaron Asp Ferris State (CCHA) 158 LW Todd Sparks Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) 159 D Jeff Ricciardi Ottawa 67’s (OHL) 160 D Dmitri Mironov Krylia Sovetov Moskva (Soviet) 161 RW Eric Johnson Armstrong HS (High-MN) 162 D Jiri Kuntos ASD Dukla Jihlava (Czechoslovakia) 163 D Steve Yule Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 164 LW Robb McIntyre Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL) 165 D Paul Wolanski Niagara Falls Thunder (OHL) 166 C Gary Kitching Thunder Bay Flyers (USHL) 167 C Tomas Kucharcik ASD Dukla Jihlava (Czechoslovakia) 168 D Rick Corriveau London Knights (OHL) 169 G Corey Hirsch Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 170 D Peter McLaughlin Belmont Hill School (High-MA) 171 LW Brian Savage Miami (Ohio) (CCHA) 172 D Jay Moser Park HS (High-MN) 173 C David St-Pierre Longueuil College-Francais (QMJHL) 174 LW Michael Burkett Michigan State (CCHA) 175 RW Chris Kenady St. Paul Vulcans (USHL) 176 G Roch Belley Niagara Falls Thunder (OHL)
Brian Savage, Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)
Round 9
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 177 G Corwin Saurdiff Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) 178 D Adam Bartell Niagara Scenic (NAHL) 179 D Guy Lehoux Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) 180 C John Johnson Niagara Falls Thunder (OHL) 181 G Sean Gauthier Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) 182 RW James Bode Armstrong HS (High-MN) 183 LW David Neilson Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 184 G Derek Herlofsky St. Paul Vulcans (USHL) 185 D Chris Belanger Western Michigan (CCHA) 186 C Jim Bermingham Laval Titan (QMJHL) 187 D Daniel Reimann Anoka HS (High-MN) 188 D Brent Brekke Western Michigan (CCHA) 189 LW Tony Iob Soo Greyhounds (OHL) 190 RW Trevor Duhaime St. Jean Lynx (QMJHL) 191 D Vyachesl Uvayev Spartak Moskva (Soviet) 192 G Jeff Lembke Omaha Lancers (USHL) 193 C Scott Fraser Dartmouth (ECAC) 194 D Daniel Hodge Merrimack (H-East) 195 C David Struch Saskatoon Blades (WHL) 196 G Craig Brown Western Michigan (CCHA) 197 RW Jed Fiebelkorn Osseo HS (High-MN) 198 D Scott MacDonald Choate-Rosemary Hall (High-CT)
Round 10 Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 199 C Dale Craigwell Oshawa Generals (OHL) 200 D Paul Koch Omaha Lancers (USHL) 201 D Gary Miller North Bay Centennials (OHL) 202 LW Robert Canavan Hingham HS (High-MA) 203 D Igor Ulanov Khimik Voskresensk (Soviet) 204 D Josh Bartell Rome Free Academy (High-NY) 205 D Brad Barton Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 206 LW Tom Nemeth Cornwall Royals (OHL) 207 G Jason Currie Clarkson (ECAC) 208 C Jason Firth Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 209 D Rob Leask Dukes of Hamilton (OHL) 210 RW Vegar Barlie Valerenga (Norway) 211 RW Spencer Meany St. Lawrence (ECAC) 212 D Carl Leblanc Granby Bisons (QMJHL) 213 G Jamie Ram Michigan Tech (WCHA) 214 D Chris Tok Greenway HS (High-MN) 215 D Greg MacEachern Laval Titan (QMJHL) 216 D Steve Norton Michigan State (CCHA) 217 LW Sergei Zolotov Krylia Sovetov Moskva (Soviet) 218 D Mattias Olsson Farjestad BK (Sweden) 219 LW Chris MacKenzie Colgate (ECAC) 220 RW Alexander Andrievski Dynamo Moskva (Soviet)
Round 11
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 221 D Aaron Kriss Cranbrook Kingswood School (High-MI) 222 LW Doug Friedman Boston University (H-East) 223 C Jonathan Kelley Arlington HS (High-MA) 224 C Marcus Thuresson Leksands IF (Sweden) 225 RW Jason Jennings Western Michigan (CCHA) 226 G Neil Little RPI (ECAC) 227 G Jason Fitzsimmons Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) 228 RW Shayne Green Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 229 C Mike Santonelli Matignon HS (High-MA) 230 LW Bart Turner Michigan State (CCHA) 231 C Kevin Riehl Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) 232 G Yevgeny Belosheiken Izhorets Leningrad (Soviet-3) 233 RW Mikhail Volkov Krylia Sovetov Moskva (Soviet) 234 D Rob Puchniak Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) 235 C Vitali Chinakhov Torpedo Yaroslavl (Soviet) 236 D Paul Dyck Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) 237 D P.J. Lepler Rochester Mustangs (USHL) 238 C Stephen Lombardi Deerfield Academy (High-MA) 239 C Marko Jantunen Hockey Reipas (Finland) 240 G Andre Bouliane Longueuil College-Francais (QMJHL) 241 D Kevin Rappana Duluth East HS (High-MN) 242 D Mike Larkin Rice Memorial HS (High-VT)
Round 12
Pick Team Pos. Player Junior Team 243 RW Mikhail Kravets SKA Leningrad (Soviet) 244 RW Eric Meloche Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) 245 D Chris O’Rourke Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA-Ind.) 246 C Marty Schriner North Dakota (WCHA) 247 D Sergei Sorokin Dynamo Moskva (Soviet) 248 C John Porco Belleville Bulls (OHL) 249 C Xavier Majic RPI (ECAC) 250 D Jukka Suomalainen GrIFK (Finland-2) 251 D Rob Peters Ohio State (CCHA) 252 RW Andrew Miller Wexford (MetJAHL) 253 D Jason Hehr Kelowna (BCJHL) 254 RW Juha Riihijarvi Karpat (Finland-2) 255 D Michael Smith Lake Superior State (CCHA) 256 LW Bill Kovacs Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 257 C Brian Wiseman Michigan (CCHA) 258 D Pasi Huura Ilves (Finland) 259 D Dale Hooper Springfield (NEJHL) 260 D Torsten Kienass EHC Dynamo Berlin (Germany) 261 G Andrei Trefilov Dynamo Moskva (Soviet) 262 D Mike Gaul St. Lawrence (ECAC) 263 G Mike Veisor Springfield (NEJHL) 264 D Scott Dean Lake Forest Academy (High-IL)
