Countless players have entered the NHL by way of the draft and lived up to the expectations given to them. Unfortunately, a number of them haven’t.
From first-overall picks to lottery picks to even the diamonds in the rough.
But then there have been the ultimate underdogs, the ones who slipped through the cracks and under the radar of scouts everywhere to defy the odds and carve out a place among the great names in hockey history.
Here is our list of the best undrafted players in NHL history.
Table of Contents
- Wayne Gretzky – 1,487 Games, 2,857 Points
- Adam Oates – 1,337 Games, 1,420 Points
- Johnny Bucyk – 1,540 Games, 1,369 Points
- Martin St. Louis – 1,134 Games, 1,033 Points
- Dino Ciccarelli – 1,232 Games, 1200 Points
- Curtis Joseph – 943 Games, 454-352-96 With 51 Shutouts
- Ed Belfour – 963 games, 484-320–125 With 76 Shutouts
- Sergei Bobrovsky – 700 Games, 396-224-55 With 44 Shutouts
- Steve Duchesne – 1,113 Games, 752 Points
- Dan Boyle – 1,093 Games, 605 Points
Wayne Gretzky – 1,487 Games, 2,857 Points
Most people are likely to forget that “The Great One” was not actually drafted into the NHL.
As one of the dozen original WHA teams, the Edmonton Oilers were among the four WHA teams that merged with the NHL prior to the 1979-80 season.
This would cause a bit of a loophole in the illustrious career of the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of skates. Operating under a “personal services contract” with the Indianapolis Racers during his first season in the WHA, the Oilers took over Gretzky’s contract as part of the merger.
After a twenty-year career, Gretzky finished his Hall of Fame NHL career with four Stanley Cups and every individual honor possible (multiple times over). He held at least 61 NHL records, many of which still stand today.
Adam Oates – 1,337 Games, 1,420 Points
There have been prolific scorers throughout the history of the NHL who make the nightly highlight reels with ease. And then there is Adam Oates, one of the men who helped make those goals possible.
Of Oates’ 1,420 points, 1,079 are assists, ranking eighth in NHL history.
Known more for his cerebral attack than for his slapshot, Oates went from a high school dropout to working at a gas station to a Hockey Hall of Fame career.
Signed by the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent during the summer prior to his senior season with the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers (an NCAA Division III school), Oates was the highest-paid rookie of the 1985-86 season.
After four years in Detroit, Oates got traded to the St. Louis Blues, where he teamed up with Brett Hull to become one of the league’s greatest duos. His most successful individual time in the NHL came during his six years with the Boston Bruins.
Six years with the Capitals included his only trip to the Stanley Cup Finals before suiting up with three more teams to close out his 20-year career.
Johnny Bucyk – 1,540 Games, 1,369 Points
Johnny Bucyk’s path to the Hall-of-Fame was not a conventional one.
After playing four years of junior hockey, Bucyk joined the Edmonton Flyers of the WHL. As the minor league affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, Bucyk got called up to help the Red Wings as a practice player en route to their 1955 Stanley Cup victory.
His time in the “Motor City” would be short-lived, however, as he soon found himself dealt to the Boston Bruins.
As part of two Stanley Cup championship teams, Bucyk also earned seven trips to the All-Star Game and captured two Lady Byng awards.
Martin St. Louis – 1,134 Games, 1,033 Points
If you haven’t read our story on Martin St. Louis, what’s stopping you?
A Stanley Cup, a Hart Memorial, a Lester B. Pearson, two Art Ross, six All-Star Games, and five All-NHL Teams. Not bad for a Hall-of-Fame player who scouts deemed to be not worthy of a draft pick.
Following an award-winning collegiate career with the Vermont Catamounts, Martin St. Louis would go undrafted in 1997. St. Louis put up 51, 71, 85, and 60 points during his four seasons in Vermont and was twice a finalist for the Hobey Baker award. But it still was not enough to deter coaches from the fact that he was only 5’9”.
After a season split between the IHL and the AHL, the Calgary Flames were the first team to come to their senses, giving St. Louis a chance.
Unfortunately, a change in management would be the Flames loss and the Tampa Bay Lightning’s gain as St. Louis would move south as a free agent.
For the better part of thirteen years, St. Louis pocketed nearly a point per game with the Lightning before spending the last year and a half of his career with the New York Rangers.
Dino Ciccarelli – 1,232 Games, 1200 Points
While there were a couple of instances that put a black mark on his resume, Dino Ciccarelli’s career from being an undrafted rookie to a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame is worthy of a spot on this list.
On September 28th, 1979, Ciccarelli inked a free agent deal with the Minnesota North Stars but remained with the OMJHL’s London Knights and the CHL’s Oklahoma Stars for the season.
After playing 32 games in the 1980-81 regular season with the North Stars, Ciccarelli’s 14 goals and 21 points in 19 playoff games gave management all the reason they needed to bring him up on a full-time basis for the 1981-82 season. He recorded 106 points in 76 games.
Over the course of his nineteen-year career, Ciccarelli’s 608 goals are the most ever by an undrafted player.
While individual honors, aside from a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame would escape him, Ciccarelli proved to be one of the league’s most elite scorers, netting 32+ goals in 11 seasons.
Curtis Joseph – 943 Games, 454-352-96 With 51 Shutouts
There may be some hardware missing from “Cujo’s” resume that others on this list possess. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that Curtis Joseph was one of the great goalies of his era.
While other players went undrafted by the more traditional sense of the process, Joseph was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Blues following his freshman season at the University of Wisconsin.
Over his nineteen years in the NHL, Joseph spent the most time in St. Louis (6 years), but found his greatest success in Toronto (5 years), winning 30+ games in three straight seasons.
A three-time All-Star, Joseph won 30+ games with five different teams. He also has the unfortunate distinction of being the league’s all-time winningest goalie to have never played in a Stanley Cup Finals.
Ed Belfour – 963 games, 484-320–125 With 76 Shutouts
After backstopping the North Dakota Fighting Sioux to a National title as a freshman, Canadian Ed Belfour signed a rookie deal with the Blackhawks.
Following a season and a half in the IHL with the Saginaw Hawks, Belfour joined the Canadian National Team before his official rookie year with Chicago in 1990.
It seemed like there was nothing “Eddie the Eagle” couldn’t do in his first year, finishing with a 43-19-7 record in 74 games, earning the Calder Memorial Trophy, the Vezina Trophy, and the William M. Jennings Trophy while falling just short of adding the Hart Memorial (3rd place) Trophy.
Belfour would spend seven more award-winning seasons in Chicago before having a cup of coffee in San Jose and then moving on to join the Dallas Stars, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and finishing his career with one season in Florida.
In total, Balfour finished his illustrious career with one Stanley Cup, four Jennings awards, two Vezina’s three All-NHL Team honors, six trips to the All-Star Game, and a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Sergei Bobrovsky – 700 Games, 396-224-55 With 44 Shutouts
As the only active player on this list, Sergei Bobrovsky just helped the Panthers to their first Stanley Cup in an exciting seven-game series victory over the Oilers.
Although then-GM Paul Holmgren stated that he considered selecting the Russian goaltender in the 2006 NHL Draft, it would be four years later that Bobrovsky joined the team as an unsigned rookie free agent.
Although he had two decent seasons in Philadelphia, Bobrovsky found himself traded to Columbus after losing his starting job to Ilya Bryzgalov.
While he would win hockey’s ultimate prize with the Panthers, Bobrovsky had his best individual years with the Blue Jackets, winning a pair of Vezina Trophies and twice being named to the All-NHL team.
Steve Duchesne – 1,113 Games, 752 Points
After three seasons with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL, defenseman Steve Duchesne found himself undrafted into the NHL. Instead, he was presented with a free-agent contract by the LA Kings in the fall of 1984.
Sandwiching a stop in the AHL before taking to the ice with the Kings, Duchesne quickly drew attention to himself as one of the best offensive D-men in the NHL.
A three-time All-Star, Duchesne suited up for six different teams (which also included two stints with each of the Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Philadelphia Flyers).
Although he was not the prolific offensive talent he once was, Duchesne helped the Detroit Red Wings win the 2002 Stanley Cup in the final season of his 16-year career.
Dan Boyle – 1,093 Games, 605 Points
Following four seasons with the University of Miami (Ohio) RedHawks, it took Dan Boyle another two years to become a full-time member of the Florida Panthers.
Standing just 5’11”, 190lbs, the undersized Canadian defender drew little attention as part of the NHL Draft and later signed a free agent deal with the Panthers in the spring of 1998.
After splitting time between Florida and their IHL affiliate in Louisville, Boyle eventually cracked the main roster in 2000.
A seven-time All-Star who was constantly in the running for the Norris Trophy, Boyle helped the Tampa Bay Lightning to their first Stanley Cup. Following six years in Tampa Bay, Boyle spent six more years in San Jose before finishing his career with the New York Rangers.
Related lists you might like:
- The Best Undrafted NFL Players of All Time
- Ranking The Best Undrafted MLB Players Ever
- The Oldest NHL Players in Hockey History
- Ben Wallace & Beyond: Who Are The NBA’s Best Undrafted Free Agents?
Editor’s Note: Want more great underdog stories? Join our free Underdog Newsletter 👇
