The 1990 NHL entry draft was the 28th NHL entry draft. It was hosted by the Vancouver Canucks at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 16, 1990. It is remembered as one of the deeper drafts in NHL history, with fourteen of the twenty-one first round picks going on to careers of at least 500 NHL games.[1]
Nine of the twenty-one players drafted in the first round played 1,000 NHL games in their career.
The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Jaromir Jagr, who played his last NHL game in the 2017–18 season. As of 2025, Jagr is still an active player with Rytiri Kladno of the ELH.
The Canucks had estimated that 10,000 spectators would attend the draft, which had free admission.[4] However, holding the venue in a higher capacity venue allowed for that estimate to nearly double, with 19,127 spectators—a then record for attendance at an NHL entry draft—attending the draft.[5]
Heading into the 1990 NHL entry draft, Mike Ricci had spent the entire 1989–90 season ranked as the top prospect by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.[6] Before the release of the final rankings of North American skaters and goaltenders, it was speculated Owen Nolan, Keith Primeau and Petr Nedved would surpass Ricci; however, when the final rankings were released, Ricci remained as the top prospect.[6][7]Jaromir Jagr was also considered to be one of the top prospects, but Central Scouting did not rank European players.[8] Petr Nedved was an exception to that, as he played in North America after he defected his native Czechoslovakia.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^1 Although born in Northern Ireland, Owen Nolan has Canadian citizenship and represented Canada internationally.[10]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^2 Although born in Czechoslovakia, Petr Nedved would obtain Canadian citizenship in 1993 and represented Canada internationally as a professional; he had represented Czechoslovakia in junior hockey in 1989.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^3 The Calgary Flames traded their first round selection in 1990, Detroit's second round selection in 1990 (previously acquired), and Minnesota's second round selection in 1990 (previously acquired) to the New Jersey Devils for the Devils' first and second round selections in 1990.[11]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^4 The Montreal Canadiens traded Mike Lalor and their first round selection in 1990 to the St. Louis Blues for the Blues' first round selection in 1990 and the Blues' third round selection in the 1991 NHL entry draft (later re-acquired by St. Louis — Nathan LaFayette).[12]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^5 The Buffalo Sabres traded Scott Arniel, Phil Housley, Jeff Parker, and their first round selection in 1990 to the Winnipeg Jets for Dale Hawerchuk and the Jets' first round selection in 1990.[11][13]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^6 The St. Louis Blues traded Adrien Plavsic and Montreal's first round selection in 1990 (previously acquired) to the Vancouver Canucks for Harold Snepsts, Rich Sutter, and St. Louis' second round selection in 1990 (previously acquired).[12]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^7 The Calgary Flames traded Brad McCrimmon to the Detroit Red Wings for the Wings' second round selection in 1990.[14]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^8 The Calgary Flames traded Joe Mullen to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Penguins' second round selection in 1990.[11]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^9 The Calgary Flames traded Peter Lappin to the Minnesota North Stars for the North Stars' second round selection in 1990.[14]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^10 The St. Louis Blues traded Robert Nordmark and their second round selection in 1990 to the Vancouver Canucks for Dave Richter.[12]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^11 The Buffalo Sabres traded Kevin Maguire and their second round selection in 1990 to the Philadelphia Flyers for Jay Wells and the Flyers' fourth round selection in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft (Peter Ambroziak).[13]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^12 The Boston Bruins traded their second round selection in 1990 to the Philadelphia Flyers for Brian Propp.[15]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^13 The Philadelphia Flyers traded Darren Jensen and Daryl Stanley to the Vancouver Canucks for Wendell Young and the Canucks' third round selection in 1990.[16]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^14 The Philadelphia Flyers traded Wendell Young and their seventh round selection in 1990 to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the Penguins' third round selection in 1990.[17]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^15 The Philadelphia Flyers traded Kevin Maguire and their eighth round selection in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft (Dmitri Mironov) to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Leafs' third round selection in 1990.[18]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^16 New Jersey Devils traded Alain Chevrier and their seventh round selection in the 1989 NHL entry draft (Doug Evans) to the Winnipeg Jets for Steve Rooney and the Jets' third round selection in 1990.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^17 The Chicago Blackhawks traded their third round selection in 1990 to the Montreal Canadiens for Jocelyn Lemieux.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^18 The Buffalo Sabres traded Tom Barrasso and their third round selection in 1990 to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Doug Bodger and Darrin Shannon.[13]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^19 The New Jersey Devils traded Joe Cirella, Claude Loiselle, and their eighth round selection in 1990 to the Quebec Nordiques for Walt Poddubny and the Nordiques' fourth round selection in 1990.[19]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^20 The Edmonton Oilers traded Normand Lacombe to the Philadelphia Flyers for the Flyers' fourth round selection in 1990.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^21 The Los Angeles Kings received the New York Islanders' fourth round selection in 1990 as compensation for the Islanders signing Glenn Healy.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^22 The Los Angeles Kings traded the New York Islanders' fourth round selection in 1990 (previously acquired) to the New York Rangers for Barry Beck.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^23 The Los Angeles Kings traded their fourth round selection in 1990 to the New York Rangers for Dean Kennedy.[20]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^24 The Minnesota North Stars traded Mike Gartner to the New York Rangers for Ulf Dahlen and Los Angeles' fourth round selection in 1990 (previously acquired).
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^25 The New Jersey Devils traded their fourth round selection in 1990 to the Winnipeg Jets for George McPhee.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^26 The St. Louis Blues traded Kent Carlson, their twelfth round selection in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft (Sergei Kharin), and their fourth round selection in 1990 to the Winnipeg Jets for Peter Douris.[12]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^27 The Edmonton Oilers traded their fourth round selection in 1990 to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Vladimir Ruzicka.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^28 The New York Rangers received the Quebec Nordiques' fifth round selection in 1990 as compensation for the Nordiques signing Guy Lafleur.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^29 The Detroit Red Wings traded their fifth round selection in 1990 to the New York Rangers for Jim Pavese.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^30 The Detroit Red Wings traded Kris King to the New York Rangers for Chris McRae and Detroit's fifth round selection in 1990 (previously acquired).
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^31 The Toronto Maple Leafs traded their fifth round selection in 1990 to the Washington Capitals for Lou Franceschetti.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^32 The Buffalo Sabres traded Lindy Ruff to the New York Rangers for the Rangers' fifth round selection in 1990.[13]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^33 The Hartford Whalers traded Carey Wilson and their fifth round selection in 1990 to the New York Rangers for Brian Lawton, Don Maloney, and Norm Maciver.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^34 The Buffalo Sabres traded Jacques Cloutier and their sixth round selection in 1990 to the Chicago Blackhawks for Steve Ludzik and the Blackhawks' fifth round selection in 1990.[13]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^35 The Calgary Flames traded their fifth round selection in 1990 to the New Jersey Devils for Jim Korn.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^36 The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Rod Buskas to the Vancouver Canucks for the Canucks' sixth round selection in 1990.
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^37 The Buffalo Sabres traded Wayne Van Dorp to the Chicago Blackhawks for the Blackhawks' seventh round selection in 1990.[13]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^38 The Buffalo Sabres traded their seventh round selection in 1990 to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Wayne Van Dorp.[13]
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^39 The St. Louis Blues traded Rob Whistle and their eighth round selection in 1990 to the Washington Capitals for the Capitals' sixth round selection in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft (Derek Frenette).[12]
