FCHockey
Staff
July 24, 2021

2021 NHL Draft – By The Numbers

The 2021 NHL Draft is in the books. And not without some interesting trends to develop.

A total of 223 players from 14 countries and 38 leagues were selected between the two days at the 2021 draft.

Defensemen, understandably, led the way with 83 selections, while centers followed up with 53. But, in total, there were 121 total forwards taken. Goaltenders, at 21, finished fifth among all positions.

Canada paced all NHL Draftees with 82 of 223 selections. The United States finished second with 50 picks, and Russia nabbed third with 29 selections.

The Western Hockey League (WHL) was the most fruitful with 32 selections. Surprisingly, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) — which did not skate a single game in 2020-21 after a cancellation as a result of COVID-19 protocols — finished second with 26 picks hailing from the league. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), with 24, and the United States Hockey League (USHL), with 19, finished third and fourth respectively. The USHL’s figure does not include the 11 players selected from the U.S. National Team Development program.

The day was ruled by 6-foot-2 skaters, too. That height, as logged by NHL.com, accounted for 50 of 223 picks made on Friday and Saturday. Those standing 6-foot-1 logged 36 selections, and those at an even 6-feet counted 33 picks.

A draft-leading 57 players weighed in between 170 and 179 pounds. The range between 190 and 199 pounds was second-most plentiful, with 49 eligibles tipping the scales there. Forty-seven draftees logged a weight between 180 and 189 pounds.

Here’s the full breakdown of the 2021 NHL Draft, by the numbers:

POSITION No. of Picks
Defensemen 83
Centers 53
Left Wings 35
Right Wings 33
Goaltenders 21

BIRTH COUNTRY No. of Picks
Canada 82
United States 50
Russia 29
Sweden 24
Finland 14
Czech Republic 8
Germany 4
Switzerland 3
Belarus 1
Great Britain 1
Kazakhstan 1
Norway 1
Slovakia 1
Ukraine 1

LEAGUE No. of Picks
WHL 32
OHL 26
QMJHL 24
USHL 19
RUSSIA-JR 16
SWEDEN-JR 12
NTDP 11
FINLAND-JR 10
SWEDEN 9
USHS 9
RUSSIA 8
FINLAND 6
OTHER 38

TEAM No. of Picks
National Team Development Program 11
Chicago – USHL 6
Edmonton – WHL 5
London – OHL 5
St. Petersburg (KHL) 5
CSKA-2 (MHL) 4
Gatineau (QMJHL) 4
Moose Jaw (WHL) 4
OTHER 179

HEIGHT No. of Picks
6’2″ 50
6’1″ 36
6’0″ 33
5’11” 25
6’4″ 22
6’3″ 20
5’10” 16
6’6″ 7
6’5″ 6
5’9″ 4
5’8″ 2
5’6″ 1
6’7″ 1

WEIGHT No. of Picks
170-179 57
190-199 49
180-189 47
200-209 25
160-169 20
210-219 14
150-159 7
220-229 2
230+ 1

 

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