On this date in Penguins history: 1997 NHL Draft held at Civic Arena
Several NHL all-time greats were drafted right here in Pittsburgh.
27 years ago today, several NHL all-time greats were drafted right here in Pittsburgh during the 1997 NHL Entry Draft at the Civic Arena.
One player taken during the draft has already made it into the Hall of Fame with several others likely to join soon.
Joe Thornton was selected with the first overall pick in the draft.
Other all-time greats picked in 1997 include Patrick Marleau, Olli Jokinen, Roberto Luongo, and Marian Hossa.
The Penguins picked the following players in the draft:
- Robert Dome
- Brian Gaffaney
- Josef Melichar
- Alexandre Mathieu
- Harlan Pratt
- Petr Havelka
- Mark Moore
- Andrew Ference
- Eric Lind
The 1997 NHL Draft marked the first time the event was held in Pittsburgh.
From 1963 through 1984, the draft was annually held in Montreal, Quebec before being held in various cities.
Pittsburgh also hosted the NHL Draft in 2012 when the team made a splash trade, dealing Jordan Staal to the Carolina Hurricanes and making two first-round selections.