Hockey Trivia: The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft

The 1975 NHL Amateur Draft followed the Philadelphia Flyers second consecutive Stanley Cup victory in 1974-75 and the start of the Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup dynasty in 1975-76. The NHL was in fierce competition with the World Hockey Association and many junior players were drafted to both leagues. Test and expand your knowledge of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft with the following four hockey trivia questions and answers.

Q. Who was the first overall pick at the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft?

A. The Philadelphia Flyers chose Mel Bridgeman first overall in 1975. Bridgeman was fresh off a 66 goal and 157 point season with the Victoria Cougars of the WCHL. Mel played in the NHL from 1975-76 to 1988-89 with the Flyers, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings and Vancouver Canucks.

Bridgeman is the only player the Flyers have ever chosen first overall. James Van Riemsdyk came close in 2007. He went second overall, behind Patrick Kane. Kane came out of the London Knights and was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks. Van Riemsdyk was drafted out of the University of New Hampshire.

Q. Who was the only player drafted in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft to play over 1,000 regular season games in the league?

A. Dave Taylor was taken way down in the 15^th round by the Los Angeles Kings, 210^th overall. Yet, Taylor was the only draftee in 1975 to play over 1,000 games during his NHL career. Drafted out of Clarkson University, Taylor played 1,111 games between 1977-78 and 1993-94, all with the Kings.

First overall pick, Mel Bridgeman came close, playing 977 NHL regular season games. Doug Jarvis was taken in the second round and finished up his career with 964 games played. Bridgeman and Jarvis are the only two from the 1975 draft to reach the 900 game plateau.

Q. Who was the first member of the OHA’s London Knights to be selected in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft?

A. Dennis Maruk was taken in the second round, 21^st overall, by the California Golden Seals. Maruk had just been honoured with the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHA’s most outstanding player in 1974-75, finishing third in scoring with 145 points. Maruk played 888 regular season NHL games and contributed 878 points over a National Hockey Career that spanned from 1975-76 to 1988-89. Besides the Golden Seals, Dennis also played for the Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars and Washington Capitals.

Q. What team drafted NHL Ironman Doug Jarvis in the second round of the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft?

A. Although he never played for them, the Toronto Maple Leafs took Jarvis 24^th overall. Doug played in the NHL from 1975-76 to 1987-88 with the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers. He didn’t miss a scheduled game between his first and last NHL games. His record of 964 consecutive games stands as an NHL record today. Jarvis even played two extra games in 1985-86 after being traded from Washington to Hartford.