College players in the NHL entry draft

The NHL entry draft has been increasingly targeting college and college-bound players as more and more alumni have found their way into the league over the years.

After World War II, college hockey was seen by most NHL executives as a backwater league for players who weren't good enough to play professionally.

These selections coincided with the rapid expansion of the NHL as the league doubled its size in 1967, providing a much greater opportunity for college alumni to play professionally.

The NHL continued to expand over the next several years and, with the addition of the WHA, there were 30 major professional teams in 1972 along with their affiliated minor league programs.

This was mostly due to the fact that NHL teams were hesitant to spend their high draft picks on college players.

The late 80s and early 90s were the high point for college players in the NHL draft but the situation rapidly changed following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Beginning in 1991, there was no longer an geopolitical barrier blocking such a move and NHL drafting tendencies quickly shifted to take advantage.

When the New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup in 1995 with a defensive-first style, suddenly the offensive-heavy NCAA was no longer an asset.

Fortunately, college teams were quick to adapt to the new state of affairs and new styles of play helped to rapidly reverse the situation.