Mats Sundin was the first European-born player drafted first overall in the NHL. The Quebec Nordiques selected the Swedish center with the top pick of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft.
Sundin was born in Bromma, Sweden, and was playing for Nacka HK when Quebec chose him. He did not immediately move to North America; he continued developing in Sweden and helped Djurgårdens IF win the Swedish championship before making his NHL debut during the 1990–91 season. That path helped make his selection a landmark moment for European players in the NHL.
Sundin later became best known as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, serving in that role for 11 seasons. He finished his NHL career with 564 goals and 1,349 points and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012. Nicklas Lidstrom, Jaromir Jagr, and Peter Forsberg were also major European stars, but none was the first European-born player chosen first overall.