Players not Drafted in NHL?

Question

I have noticed that some players in the NHL were not drafted (Brian Rafalski).
so how do they get into the NHL. If there is more then one way, do you know all of them?

Answer 1

Most of them either play in Europe or in the AHL for a few seasons before making it in the NHL. However, sometimes the NHL teams have scouted players that they don't draft, but then invite to training camp for a tryout, and so some players get signed this way.

Note: to whoever mentioned Malkin, not only was he drafted, but he was a highly touted prospect and was taken 2ND OVERALL! And although Gretzky went undrafted, he signed with a WHA team (I think Indianapolis) when he was still underage, thus he did not actually enter a draft.

Here are some other notable undrafted NHLers: Marc-Andre Bergeron (NYI), Dan Boyle (TB), Alex Burrows (VAN), Dino Cicarelli, Steve Duchesne, Pascal Dupuis, Ruslan Fedotenko (NYI), Vernon Fiddler (NAS), Jeff Halpern (DAL), Charlie Huddy, Mike Johnson, Mike Keane, Jon Klemm, Chris Kunitz, Jason Krog, Dustin Penner, Andy McDonald, Marty McSorley, John Madden, Zbynek Michalek, Adam Oates, Brian Rafalski, Steven Reinprecht, Steve Rucchin, Steve Thomas, and Todd White. Also lots of older Europeans were undrafted such as the Stastnys, Anders Hedberg, Borje Salming, etc.

Answer 2

Man................. I missed as lot of people while I was a scout!

There are only so many players drafted each year..............and there are MORE than enough players to choose from.

let's look at some examples....shall we?
Nicklas Backstrom
Undrafted
Decent numbers....but nobody was interested. He contacted the Wild, they liked what they saw...they signed him.

Edward Belfour
Undrafted
With the Winkler Flyers...........he was God Awful. Goes to North Dakota (yeah - I can't picture Ed in lecture hall either) and has the 3rd best GAA in the NCAA while going 29-4. Suddenly he has 16 offers. We won. We signed him.and he promptly stunk out the joint. We hired Tretiak. And now Belfour will be joining him in the Hall of Fame.


To the poster above, Gretzky would have been drafted 1st overall in 1980 if he hadn't come to the NHL as one of Edmonton's 2 protected players in 1979.

Bob, that's not a complete list. Where's Inge Hammarstrom?

Answer 3

Wayne Gretzky was never drafted!!!
all players not drafted becom unristricted free agents and any team can get them by making them sign a contract.

And yes Malkin was drafted in 04 2nd overall behind Alexandre Ovechkin

Answer 4

Ahhh, Chris beat me to the little known fact that Marty St. Louis was undrafted out of the University of Vermont

Answer 5

Not 100%, but wasnt Evgeni Malkin un-drafted?

Answer 6

Sign as an undrafted FA. He toiled in Europe for quite a few years first though. Belfour and CuJo were undrafted FA's as well.

Answer 7

Martin St.louis wasnt, either was Ed Belfour, it was because they were seen by scouts, and signed by teams, they were to old to go into a draft so they were scouted and signed.