| Location: | Civic Arena
(Pittsburgh, PA) | Dates: | June 21, 1997 |
| First Overall Pick: | Joe Thornton
(Boston Bruins) | Players with NHL Experience: | 101 |
The 1997 NHL entry draft was the 35th NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1997.
The last active player from the 1997 draft class was Joe Thornton, who played his last NHL game in the 2021–22 season.
Biggest Steals of the 1997 NHL Draft
- Andrew Ference (Pittsburgh Penguins – 208th Overall)
- 225 points in 907 career games
- 2011 Stanley Cup winner
- 2014 King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner
- Shawn Thornton (Toronto Maple Leafs – 190th Overall)
- 102 points in 705 career games
- 2-time Stanley Cup winner
- Brian Campbell (Buffalo Sabres – 156th Overall)
- 504 points in 1,082 career games
- 3-time 50-point scorer
- 2010 Stanley Cup winner
- 1-time All-Star
- 2012 Lady Byng Trophy winner
- Matt Cooke (Vancouver Canucks – 144th Overall)
- 398 points in 1,046 career games
- 2009 Stanley Cup winner
- Jason Chimera (Edmonton Oilers – 121st Overall)
- 229 points in 1,107 career games
- 2-time 20-goal scorer
Biggest Busts of the 1997 NHL Draft
- Michel Riesen (Edmonton Oilers – 14th Overall)
- 1 point in 12 career games
- Matt Zultek (Los Angeles Kings – 15th Overall)
- Ty Jones (Chicago Blackhawks – 16th Overall)
- 0 points in 14 career games
- Nikos Tselios (Carolina Hurricanes – 22nd Overall)
- 0 points in 2 career games
- Jean-Francois Damphousse (New Jersey Devils – 24th Overall)
- 0 points in 6 career games
- Kevin Grimes (Colorado Avalanche – 26th Overall)
1997 NHL Draft Selections by Round
Round 1
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 1 |  | C | Joe Thornton | Soo Greyhounds (OHL) |
| 2 |  | C | Patrick Marleau | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 3 |  | C | Olli Jokinen | HIFK (Finland) |
| 4 |  | G | Roberto Luongo | Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL) |
| 5 | | D | Eric Brewer | Prince George Cougars (WHL) |
| 6 |  | C | Daniel Tkaczuk | Barrie Colts (OHL) |
| 7 |  | D | Paul Mara | Sudbury Wolves (OHL) |
| 8 | | LW | Sergei Samsonov | Detroit Vipers (IHL) |
| 9 |  | D | Nick Boynton | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) |
| 10 |  | D | Brad Ference | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) |
| 11 |  | RW | Jason Ward | Erie Otters (OHL) |
| 12 |  | RW | Marian Hossa | HK Dukla Trencin (Slovakia) |
| 13 |  | RW | Dan Cleary | Belleville Bulls (OHL) |
| 14 |  | RW | Michel Riesen | EHC Biel-Bienne (Swiss-2) |
| 15 | | LW | Matt Zultek | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) |
| 16 | | RW | Ty Jones | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) |
| 17 |  | RW | Robert Dome | Las Vegas Thunder (IHL) |
| 18 |  | C | Michael Holmqvist | Djurgardens IF Jr. (Sweden Jr.) |
| 19 |  | RW | Stefan Cherneski | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) |
| 20 |  | LW | Mike Brown | Red Deer Rebels (WHL) |
| 21 |  | G | Mika Noronen | Tappara (Finland) |
| 22 |  | D | Nikos Tselios | Belleville Bulls (OHL) |
| 23 | | D | Scott Hannan | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 24 |  | G | Jean-Francois Damphousse | Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) |
| 25 |  | LW | Brenden Morrow | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) |
| 26 |  | D | Kevin Grimes | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) |
2003 Season: Player Joe Thornton of the Boston Bruins. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios/Getty Images)
Round 2
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 27 | | RW | Ben Clymer | Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 28 | | LW | Brad DeFauw | North Dakota (WCHA) |
| 29 | | C | Scott Barney | Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
| 30 |  | G | Jean-Marc Pelletier | Cornell (ECAC) |
| 31 | | LW | Jeff Zehr | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 32 | | G | Evan Lindsay | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) |
| 33 | | D | Kyle Kos | Red Deer Rebels (WHL) |
| 34 | | D | Ryan Bonni | Saskatoon Blades (WHL) |
| 35 | | D | Jean-Francois Fortin | Sherbrooke Faucons (QMJHL) |
| 36 | | C | Harold Druken | Detroit Jr. Whalers (OHL) |
| 37 | | LW | Gregor Baumgartner | Laval Titan College Francais (QMJHL) |
| 38 | | RW | Stanislav Gron | HC Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) |
| 39 | | LW | Jeremy Reich | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 40 |  | C | Tyler Rennette | North Bay Centennials (OHL) |
| 41 | | G | Patrick Dovigi | Erie Otters (OHL) |
| 42 | | RW | John Tripp | Oshawa Generals (OHL) |
| 43 |  | D | Juha Gustafsson | Kiekko Espoo Jr. (Finland Jr.) |
| 44 | | D | Brian Gaffaney | North Iowa Huskies (USHL) |
| 45 | | LW | Maxim Balmochnykh | Lada Togliatti (Russia) |
| 46 | | D | Wes Jarvis | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) |
| 47 | | LW | Kristian Huselius | Farjestad BK (Sweden) |
| 48 | | D | Henrik Tallinder | AIK Jr. (Sweden Jr.) |
| 49 |  | LW | Yuri Butsayev | Lada Togliatti (Russia) |
| 50 | | RW | Pat Kavanagh | Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
| 51 | | D | Dmitri Kokorev | Dynamo Moskva 2 (Russia-3) |
| 52 | | C | Roman Lyashenko | Torpedo Yaroslavl (Russia) |
| 53 | | LW | Graham Belak | Edmonton Ice (WHL) |
Columbus forward Kristian Huselius (Dave Gainer/THW)
Round 3
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 54 | | C | Mattias Karlin | MoDo Hockey (Sweden) |
| 55 | | D | Rick Berry | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 56 | | D | Vratislav Cech | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) |
| 57 |  | RW | Jeff Farkas | Boston College (H-East) |
| 58 | | G | Jani Hurme | TPS (Finland) |
| 59 | | C | Jarrett Smith | Prince George Cougars (WHL) |
| 60 | | C | Derek Schutz | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) |
| 61 | | RW | Matt Elich | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 62 | | D | Kris Mallette | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 63 | | RW | Lee Goren | North Dakota (WCHA) |
| 64 | | LW | Kyle Freadrich | Regina Pats (WHL) |
| 65 | | D | Ilkka Mikkola | Karpat (Finland-2) |
| 66 | | RW | Josh Langfeld | Lincoln Stars (USHL) |
| 67 | | LW | Mike Souza | New Hampshire (H-East) |
| 68 | | D | Sergei Yerkovich | Las Vegas Thunder (IHL) |
| 69 | | RW | Maxim Afinogenov | Dynamo Moskva (Russia) |
| 70 | | C | Erik Andersson | Denver (WCHA) |
| 71 | | D | Josef Melichar | HC Ceske Budejovice Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 72 | | LW | Jay Legault | London Knights (OHL) |
| 73 | | D | Burke Henry | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) |
| 74 | | C | Nick Smith | Barrie Colts (OHL) |
| 75 | | C | Jeff Martin | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 76 | | C | Petr Sykora | HC Pardubice (Czech) |
| 77 | | LW | Steve Gainey | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
| 78 | | LW | Ville Nieminen | Tappara (Finland) |
| 79 | | D | Robert Schnabel | HC Slavia Praha Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 80 | | RW | Francis Lessard | Val-d’Or Foreurs (QMJHL) |
Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo Sabres (Kristin Williams, CC BY-SA 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons)
Round 4
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 81 | | Karol Bartanus | RW | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) |
| 82 | | Adam Colagiacomo | RW | Oshawa Generals (OHL) |
| 83 | | Joe Corvo | D | Western Michigan (CCHA) |
| 84 | | Adam Mair | C | Owen Sound Platers (OHL) |
| 85 | | Petr Mika | LW | HC Slavia Praha (Czech) |
| 86 | | Didier Tremblay | D | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) |
| 87 | | Brad Larsen | LW | Swift Current Broncos (WHL) |
| 88 | | Shane Willis | RW | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
| 89 | | Curtis Cruickshank | G | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) |
| 90 | | Chris Stanley | C | Belleville Bulls (OHL) |
| 91 | | Daniel Tetrault | D | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) |
| 92 | | Chris St. Croix | D | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
| 93 | | Tomi Kallarsson | D | HPK Jr. (Finland Jr.) |
| 94 | | Jonas Elofsson | D | Farjestad BK Jr. (Sweden Jr.) |
| 95 | | Ivan Novoseltsev | RW | Krylia Sovetov Moskva (Russia) |
| 96 | | Scott McCallum | D | Tri-City Americans (WHL) |
| 97 | | Alexandre Mathieu | LW | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) |
| 98 | | Jan Horacek | D | HC Slavia Praha Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 99 | | Sean Blanchard | D | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) |
| 100 | | Ryan Ready | LW | Belleville Bulls (OHL) |
| 101 | | Luc Theoret | D | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
| 102 | | Quintin Laing | LW | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 103 | | Mikhail Chernov | D | Torpedo Yaroslavl (Russia) |
| 104 | | Lucas Nehrling | D | Sarnia Sting (OHL) |
| 105 | | Marcus Kristoffersson | LW | Mora IK (Sweden-2) |
| 106 | | Jame Pollock | D | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
Joe Corvo (Photo: Andy Martin Jr)
Round 5
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 107 | | RW | Adam Nittel | Erie Otters (OHL) |
| 108 | | D | Mark Thompson | Regina Pats (WHL) |
| 109 | | C | Jan Sulc | HC Litvinov Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 110 | | LW | Ben Simon | Notre Dame (CCHA) |
| 111 | | LW | Frantisek Mrazek | HC Ceske Budejovice Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 112 | | D | Karel Betik | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 113 | | LW | Martin Moise | Beauport Harfangs (QMJHL) |
| 114 | | C | David Darguzas | Edmonton Ice (WHL) |
| 115 | | C | Adam Edinger | Bowling Green (CCHA) |
| 116 | | RW | Kevin Caulfield | Boston College (H-East) |
| 117 | | G | Matt Cockell | Saskatoon Blades (WHL) |
| 118 | | D | Konstantin Sidulov | Traktor Chelyabinsk (Russia) |
| 119 | | LW | Magnus Arvedson | Farjestad BK (Sweden) |
| 120 | | RW | Peter Gardiner | RPI (ECAC) |
| 121 | | LW | Jason Chimera | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) |
| 122 | | D | Gennady Razin | Kamloops Blazers (WHL) |
| 123 | | LW | Curtis Suter | Spokane Chiefs (WHL) |
| 124 | | D | Harlan Pratt | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) |
| 125 | | G | Luc Vaillancourt | Beauport Harfangs (QMJHL) |
| 126 | | G | Jason McLean | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
| 127 | | D | Pat Parthenais | Detroit Jr. Whalers (OHL) |
| 128 | | C | Torrey DiRoberto | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 129 | | D | John Wikstrom | Lulea HF (Sweden) |
| 130 | | LW | Kyle Calder | Regina Pats (WHL) |
| 131 | | RW | Jiri Bicek | HC Kosice (Slovakia) |
| 132 | | LW | Teemu Elomo | TPS (Finland) |
| 133 | | C | Aaron Miskovich | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) |
| 134 | | LW | Johan Lindbom | HV71 (Sweden) |
Jason Chimera (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Round 6
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 135 | | D | Denis Timofeev | CSKA Moskva 2 (Russia-3) |
| 136 | | LW | Mike York | Michigan State (CCHA) |
| 137 | | D | Richard Seeley | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) |
| 138 | | LW | Eric Gooldy | Detroit Jr. Whalers (OHL) |
| 139 | | LW | Bobby Leavins | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) |
| 140 | | D | Ilja Demidov | Dynamo Moskva 2 (Russia-3) |
| 141 | | C | Peter Sarno | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 142 | | D | Kyle Dafoe | Owen Sound Platers (OHL) |
| 143 | | D | Henrik Petre | Djurgardens IF Jr. (Sweden Jr.) |
| 144 | | C | Matt Cooke | Windsor Spitfires (OHL) |
| 145 | | D | Jonathan Desroches | Granby Predateurs (QMJHL) |
| 146 | | D | Jeff Sullivan | Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) |
| 147 | | RW | Heath Gordon | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) |
| 148 | | D | Larry Shapley | Welland (GHL) |
| 149 | | D | Nicholas Bilotto | Beauport Harfangs (QMJHL) |
| 150 | | D | Jeff Katcher | Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) |
| 151 | | LW | Robert Francz | Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
| 152 | | LW | Petr Havelka | HC Sparta Praha Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 153 | | D | Andrei Skopintsev | TPS (Finland) |
| 154 | | G | Shawn Degagne | Kitchener Rangers (OHL) |
| 155 | | C | Keith Delaney | Barrie Colts (OHL) |
| 156 | | D | Brian Campbell | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) |
| 157 | | RW | B.J. Young | Red Deer Rebels (WHL) |
| 158 | | D | Jordon Flodell | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
| 159 | | D | Sascha Goc | SERC Wild Wings (DEL) |
| 160 | | RW | Alexei Timkin | Torpedo Yaroslavl (Russia) |
| 161 | | G | David Aebischer | HC Fribourg-Gotteron (Swiss) |
Brian Campbell, Buffalo Sabres (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
Round 7
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 162 | | RW | Joel Trottier | Ottawa 67’s (OHL) |
| 163 | | RW | Joe Dusbabek | Notre Dame (CCHA) |
| 164 | | LW | Todd Fedoruk | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 165 | | D | Hugo Marchand | Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) |
| 166 | | LW | Kris Knoblauch | Edmonton Ice (WHL) |
| 167 | | LW | Jeremy Rondeau | Swift Current Broncos (WHL) |
| 168 | | RW | Justin Jack | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 169 | | C | Andrew Merrick | Michigan (CCHA) |
| 170 | | RW | Eero Somervuori | Jokerit (Finland) |
| 171 | | D | Rod Leroux | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 172 | | RW | Ben Guite | Maine (H-East) |
| 173 | | RW | Robin Bacul | HC Slavia Praha Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 174 | | D | Jerad Smith | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) |
| 175 | | G | Johan Holmqvist | Brynas IF (Sweden) |
| 176 | | D | Kevin Bolibruck | Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
| 177 | | LW | Ladislav Nagy | HC Kosice Jr. (Slovakia Jr.) |
| 178 | | LW | Tony Mohagen | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 179 | | D | Mark Moore | Harvard (ECAC) |
| 180 | | D | Jim Baxter | Oshawa Generals (OHL) |
| 181 | | D | Mat Snesrud | North Iowa Huskies (USHL) |
| 182 | | D | Mike Mottau | Boston College (H-East) |
| 183 | | D | Tyler Palmer | Lake Superior State (CCHA) |
| 184 | | RW | Jeremy Adduono | Sudbury Wolves (OHL) |
| 185 | | RW | Samuel St-Pierre | Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) |
| 186 | | C | Mike Laceby | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) |
| 187 | | C | Chad Hinz | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
| 188 | | RW | Mathieu Benoit | Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL) |
| 189 | | D | Jeff McKercher | Barrie Colts (OHL) |
| 190 | | RW | Shawn Thornton | Peterborough Petes (OHL) |
Shawn Thornton. (Photo credit: SlidingSideways, Flickr CC)
Round 8
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 191 | | LW | Antti Laaksonen | Denver (WCHA) |
| 192 | | LW | Cam Severson | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) |
| 193 | | LW | Jay Kopischke | North Iowa Huskies (USHL) |
| 194 | | C | Russ Bartlett | Phillps-Exeter Academy (High-NH) |
| 195 | | LW | Niklas Nordgren | MoDo Hockey Jr. (Sweden Jr.) |
| 196 | | G | Jeremy Symington | Petrolia (WOHL) |
| 197 | | D | Petr Kubos | HC Vsetin (Czech) |
| 198 | | D | Shawn Skolney | Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) |
| 199 | | LW | Randy Fitzgerald | Detroit Jr. Whalers (OHL) |
| 200 | | G | Pierre-Luc Therrien | Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL) |
| 201 | | LW | Denis Martynyuk | CSKA Moskva 2 (Russia-3) |
| 202 | | RW | Andrei Sidyakin | Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russia) |
| 203 | | RW | Nick Gillis | Cushing Academy (High-MA) |
| 204 | | RW | Sergei Shikhanov | Lada Togliatti (Russia) |
| 205 | | D | Chris Kerr | Sudbury Wolves (OHL) |
| 206 | | LW | Bobby Haglund | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) |
| 207 | | D | Alexander Andreyev | Weyburn (SJHL) |
| 208 | | D | Andrew Ference | Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) |
| 209 | | C | Rene Stussi | HC Thurgau (Swiss-2) |
| 210 | | LW | Andrew Proskurnicki | Sarnia Sting (OHL) |
| 211 | | D | Doug Schueller | Twin City Vulcans (USHL) |
| 212 | | C | Kamil Piros | HC Chemopetrol (Czech) |
| 213 | | C | Steve Willejto | Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) |
| 214 | | D | Marko Kauppinen | JYP Jr. (Finland Jr.) |
| 215 | | G | Scott Clemmensen | Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) |
| 216 | | D | Alexei Komarov | Dynamo Moskva 2 (Russia-3) |
| 217 | | D | Doug Schmidt | Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) |
Round 9
| Pick | Team | Pos. | Player | Junior Team |
| 218 | | D | Eric Van Acker | Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL) |
| 219 | | C | Mark Smith | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
| 220 | | D | Konrad Brand | Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL) |
| 221 | | RW | Jonathan Hedstrom | Skelleftea AIK (Sweden-2) |
| 222 | | D | Ryan Clark | Lincoln Stars (USHL) |
| 223 | | RW | Dustin Paul | Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) |
| 224 | | C | Paul Comrie | Denver (WCHA) |
| 225 | | RW | Kent McDonell | Guelph Storm (OHL) |
| 226 | | RW | Matt Oikawa | St. Lawrence (ECAC) |
| 227 | | G | Peter Brady | Powell River (BCHL) |
| 228 | | D | Jarl Espen Ygranes | Furuset (Norway) |
| 229 | | D | Karel Rachunek | HC Ziln Jr. (Czech Jr.) |
| 230 | | D | Chris Feil | Ohio State (CCHA) |
| 231 | | G | Alexander Fomichev | St. Albert (AJHL) |
| 232 | | D | Dmitri Plekhanov | Neftekhimik Nishnekamsk (Russia) |
| 233 | | C | Wyatt Smith | Minnesota (WCHA) |
| 234 | | D | Eric Lind | Avon Old Farms School (High-CT) |
| 235 | | LW | Tommi Degerman | Boston University (H-East) |
| 236 | | D | Richard Miller | Providence (H-East) |
| 237 | | C | Benoit Cote | Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) |
| 238 | | D | Dylan Kemp | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
| 239 | | D | Greg Willers | Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) |
| 240 | | D | Par Styf | MoDo Hockey Jr. (Sweden Jr.) |
| 241 | | D | Jan Srdinko | HC Vsetin (Czech) |
| 242 | | C | Brett McLean | Kelowna Rockets (WHL) |
| 243 | | LW | Kyle Kidney | Salisbury School (High-CT) |
| 244 | | C | Marek Ivan | Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) |
| 245 | | D | Stephen Lafleur | Belleville Bulls (OHL) |
| 246 | | LW | Jay Henderson | Edmonton Ice (WHL) |