Who was selected first overall in the first NHL Amateur Draft in 1963?

Garry Monahan was selected first overall in the first NHL Amateur Draft, held in 1963.

The Montreal Canadiens chose Monahan on June 5, 1963, making the 16-year-old forward the first player ever selected in an NHL draft. Before the draft existed, NHL clubs generally controlled players through sponsorship arrangements with junior or minor-league teams. The new system let clubs claim priority rights to eligible amateurs through an organized selection process.

Monahan's selection was historic even though the first draft was far less glamorous than modern draft events. The inaugural meeting involved only 21 selections, and teams were still adapting to the idea of drafting young players rather than relying primarily on sponsored clubs. Monahan eventually played 12 NHL seasons, appearing for Montreal, Detroit, Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver.

The other choices belong to later drafts: Gilbert Perreault went first overall in 1970, Guy Lafleur in 1971 and Denis Potvin in 1973. Those names are more famous as franchise-defining No. 1 picks, which can make the relatively obscure Monahan easy to overlook. He nevertheless holds the unique distinction of being the first selection in NHL draft history.