In the half century that the NHL Amateur Draft (NHL Entry
Draft) has existed, the Boston Bruins have selected the first overall pick on
just three occasions. The first played just 24 games with the Bruins. The
second was meant to be a star defenseman but injuries got the best of him. The
third is still starring in the National Hockey League but not with the Bruins.
Barry Gibbs - 1966
Barry Gibbs was the first overall pick at the 1966 NHL
Amateur Draft. Gibbs was drafted from the Estevan Bruins of the Saskatchewan
Junior Hockey League in the days before the WHL covered all of Western Canada. Gibbs
played 24 games with Boston over two seasons, 1967-68 and 1968-69. The
following year, he was traded away from the Bruins and became a regular in the
NHL with a string of mediocre teams.
Gibbs played an impressive total of 796 games in the
National Hockey League from 1967-68 to 1979-80. Along with the Bruins, Barry
played with a lacklustre group of NHL teams that included the Minnesota
North Stars, Atlanta
Flames, St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings.
His only personal accolade in pro hockey came in 1968-69
when he was awarded as the CHL’s Most Valuable Defenseman with the Oklahoma
City Blazers. That Blazers team finished first overall in the nine team
league. In the playoffs, Oklahoma City reached the finals but fell in five to
the Bobby Kromm coached Dallas Black Hawks.
Gord Kluzak - 1982
In 1982, once again Western Canada was the source of Boston’s
first overall pick. Gord Kluzak played junior hockey with the Billings Bighorns
of the WHL. The Bighorns franchise became the current Tri-City Americans. In
his final year with Billings, 1981-82, Kluzak helped Team Canada to a Gold
Medal at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.
Kluzak caught on as a regular with Boston right from the
start and played two full seasons before having to miss the entire 1984-85
season due to a knee injury. He never fully recovered and after eleven knee
operations, Gord called it a career after playing just 299 games in the
National Hockey League, all with the Bruins.
Joe Thornton - 1997
The Bruins took Joe Thornton first overall at the 1997 NHL
Entry Draft after playing just two years of junior hockey with the Sault
Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. In his first year in
the OHL, Thornton was honoured with the Emms Family Award. In his second, he
totaled 122 points in just 59 games. Like Gord Kluzak before him, Thornton
helped Team Canada to Gold at the 1997 IIHF World Juniors.
Joe played with the Bruins from 1997-98 until a trade sent
him to the San Jose Sharks during the 2005-06 season. In his time with Boston,
Thornton was team captain for several seasons and exceeded the 100 point
plateau in 2002-03 with 101.
In a year mixed between the Bruins and Sharks in 2005-06,
Joe won the Art
Ross Trophy with a combined 125 points. Thornton finished just two points
ahead of Jaromir Jagr of the New York Rangers. He was also the recipient of the
Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player. The following year,
Thornton topped 100 points with 114 in his first full season with San Jose. In
2006-07, Joe placed second in the race for the Art Ross Trophy, six points
behind Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. As of the end of 2013-14,
Thornton remains with the San Jose Sharks.
