"Would Harry Sinden please come to the podium to announce the first pick in the NHL Entry Draft this season?" Sinden leaves his roundtable where his scouts have been giving him last minute information, and other GMs have been trying to make trades with him, while this man waits anxiously. He arrives on the podium and announces.
"The Boston Bruins are pleased to select the first pick overall in this years's entry draft, the centre from the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Joe Thornton." A scream of delight from the crowd, as Thornton's family stands up. He hugs his parents, and walks down the aisle to the stage up front, where Sinden is waiting with the Bruins cap and jersey to give to Thornton. Thornton proudly puts the uniform on and gives his biggest smile for the camera as his dream has become a reality. He was selected first overall in the NHL Entry Draft. Dozens of 18 years olds in the crowd feel their hearts drop as what they have worked for their whole lives might not come true. Some go home, their mothers crying that their son didn't get in. Some go home wearing their snazzy uniforms and caps from their drafted team. And in the case of some, like Jeff Ware of the Toronto Maple Leafs for example, some go home because that's where they will play.
The NHL Draft is the place where dreams are made. For some teams, it'll decide their futures. Today we look back at teams that had the first pick overall and we either say "What geniuses in that organization" or "What idiots in that organization." We remember the success of former first picks Eric Lindros, who by being traded away from Quebec got them franchise players for their future in Colorado, Mike Modano who has shined ever since for Minnesota/Dallas, and hall of famers Guy Lafleur and Mario Lemieux. Then you ask how Minnesota could take Brian Lawton over Pat Lafontaine, or especially Steve Yzerman in 1983 or Owen Nolan over Jaromir Jagr in 1990. And the question remains will Joe Thornton ever become the franchise player they expected, or were they lucky to get rookie of the year candidate Sergei Samsonov later in the first round?
