The 1983 NHL entry draft was the 21st draft for the National Hockey League. It was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal on June 8, 1983. The NHL entry draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the NHL . The St. Louis Blues did not participate in this draft, shortly after the league blocked the franchise's relocation to Saskatoon. This was the only time in league history that a franchise did not participate in a draft. This was also the last time a playoff team picked first overall until 2020, when the New York Rangers won the first selection.
The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Claude Lemieux, who retired after the 2008–09 season.
Selections by round Below are listed the selections in the 1983 NHL entry draft. Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.
Round one # Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 1 Brian Lawton (C) Minnesota North Stars (from Pittsburgh)1 Mount St. Charles Academy (USHS-RI) 2Sylvain Turgeon (LW) Hartford Whalers Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) 3Pat LaFontaine (C) New York Islanders (from New Jersey)2 Verdun Juniors (QMJHL) 4Steve Yzerman (C) Detroit Red Wings Peterborough Petes (OHL) 5Tom Barrasso (G) Buffalo Sabres (from Los Angeles)3 Acton-Boxboro High School (USHS-MA) 6John MacLean (RW) New Jersey Devils (from St. Louis)4 Oshawa Generals (OHL) 7Russ Courtnall (C) Toronto Maple Leafs Victoria Cougars (WHL) 8 Andrew McBain (RW) Winnipeg Jets North Bay Centennials (OHL) 9Cam Neely (RW) Vancouver Canucks Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) 10 Normand Lacombe (RW) Buffalo Sabres (from Calgary)5 University of New Hampshire (Hockey East) 11 Adam Creighton (C) Buffalo Sabres (from Quebec)6 Ottawa 67's (OHL) 12Dave Gagner (C) New York Rangers Brantford Alexanders (OHL) 13 Dan Quinn (C) Calgary Flames (from Buffalo)7 Belleville Bulls (OHL) 14 Bobby Dollas (D) Winnipeg Jets (from Washington)8 Laval Voisins (QMJHL) 15 Bob Errey (LW) Pittsburgh Penguins (from Minnesota)9 Peterborough Petes (OHL) 16 Gerald Diduck (D) New York Islanders Lethbridge Broncos (WHL) 17 Alfie Turcotte (C) Montreal Canadiens Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) 18 Bruce Cassidy (D) Chicago Black Hawks Ottawa 67's (OHL) 19 Jeff Beukeboom (D) Edmonton Oilers Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 20 David Jensen (C) Hartford Whalers (from Philadelphia)10 Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA) 21 Nevin Markwart (LW) Boston Bruins Regina Pats (WHL) Reference: The Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of a trade on October 28, 1982 that sent Anders Hakansson, Ron Meighan and Minnesota's 1st-rd pick in 1983 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for George Ferguson and this pick. The New Jersey Devils' first-round pick went to the New York Islanders as the result of a trade on October 1, 1981 that sent Dave Cameron and Bob Lorimer to Colorado in exchange for this pick. The Colorado Rockies relocated to New Jersey to become the Devils for the 1982–83 NHL season. The Los Angeles Kings' first-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of a trade on March 10, 1981 that sent the Rick Martin to Los Angeles in exchange for Los Angeles' third-round pick in 1981 NHL entry draft and this pick. The St. Louis Blues' first-round pick went to the New Jersey Devils as the result of a trade on June 9, 1982 that sent Rob Ramage to St. Louis in exchange for St. Louis' first-round pick in 1982 NHL entry draft and this pick. The Calgary Flames' first-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of a trade on June 8, 1982 that sent Richie Dunn, Don Edwards and Buffalo's second-round pick in 1982 NHL entry draft to Calgary in exchange for Calgary's first-round and second-round picks in 1982 NHL entry draft, second-round picks in 1983 NHL entry draft along with Buffalo's option to swap first-round picks in 1983 NHL entry draft (this pick). The Quebec Nordiques' first-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of a trade on June 8, 1983 that sent Tony McKegney, Jean-Francois Sauve, Andre Savard and Buffalo's 3rd-rd pick in 1983 NHL Entry Draft to Quebec in exchange for Real Cloutier and this pick. The Buffalo Sabres' first-round pick went to the Calgary Flames as the result of a trade on June 8, 1982 that sent Calgary's first-round and second-round picks in 1982 NHL entry draft, second-round picks in 1983 NHL Entry Draft along with Buffalo's option to swap first-round picks in 1983 NHL Entry Draft to Buffalo in exchange for Richie Dunn, Don Edwards and Buffalo's second-round pick in 1982 NHL entry draft. Buffalo took option to swap which became this pick for Calgary. The Washington Capitals' first-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets as the result of a trade on June 8, 1983 that sent Dave Christian to Washington in exchange for this pick. The Minnesota North Stars' first-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the result of a trade on October 28, 1982 that sent George Ferguson and Pittsburgh's 1st-rd pick in 1983 NHL Entry Draft to Minnesota in exchange for Anders Hakansson, Ron Meighan and this pick. The Philadelphia Flyers' first-round pick went to the Hartford Whalers as the result of a trade on August 19, 1982 that sent Mark Howe and Hartford's third-round in 1983 NHL Entry Draft to Philadelphia in exchange for Greg Adams, Ken Linseman, Philadelphia's third-round in 1983 NHL Entry Draft and this pick.
Round two # Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 22 Todd Charlesworth (D) Pittsburgh Penguins Oshawa Generals (OHL) 23 Ville Siren (D) Hartford Whalers Tampere Ilves (Finland) 24 Shawn Evans (D) New Jersey Devils Peterborough Petes (OHL) 25 Lane Lambert (RW) Detroit Red Wings Saskatoon Blades (WHL) 26Claude Lemieux (RW) Montreal Canadiens (from Los Angeles)1 Trois-Rivières Draveurs (QMJHL) 27 Sergio Momesso (LW) Montreal Canadiens (from St. Louis)2 Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL) 28 Jeff Jackson (LW) Toronto Maple Leafs Brantford Alexanders (OHL) 29 Brad Berry (D) Winnipeg Jets St. Albert Saints (AJHL) 30 David Bruce (RW) Vancouver Canucks Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 31 John Tucker (C) Buffalo Sabres (from Calgary)3 Kitchener (OHL) 32 Yves Heroux (RW) Quebec Nordiques Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL) 33 Randy Heath (LW) New York Rangers Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) 34 Richard Hajdu (LW) Buffalo Sabres Kamloops Junior Oilers (WHL) 35 Todd Francis (RW) Montreal Canadiens (from Washington via Calgary)4 Brantford Alexanders (OHL) 36 Malcolm Parks (C) Minnesota North Stars St. Albert Saints (AJHL) 37 Garnet McKechney (RW) New York Islanders Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 38 Frank Musil (D) Minnesota North Stars (from Montreal via Calgary)5 Pardubice (Czechoslovakia) 39 Wayne Presley (RW) Chicago Black Hawks Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 40 Mike Golden (C) Edmonton Oilers Reading High School (USHS-MA) 41 Peter Zezel (C) Philadelphia Flyers Toronto Marlboros (OHL) 42 Greg Johnston (RW) Boston Bruins Toronto Marlboros (OHL) Reference: The Los Angeles Kings' second-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on February 17, 1981 that sent the Rick Chartraw to Los Angeles in exchange for this pick. The St. Louis Blues' second-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on March 9, 1982 that sent the Guy Lapointe to St. Louis in exchange for this pick. The Calgary Flames' second-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of a trade on June 8, 1982 that sent Richie Dunn, Don Edwards and Buffalo's second-round pick in 1982 NHL entry draft to Calgary in exchange for Calgary's first-round and second-round picks in 1982 NHL entry draft, Buffalo's option to swap first-round picks in 1983 NHL Entry Draft along with this pick. The Calgary Flames' second-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on September 10, 1982 that sent the Doug Risebrough and Montreal's second-round pick in 1983 NHL Entry Draft to Calgary in exchange for Calgary's third-round pick in 1984 NHL entry draft and this pick. Calgary previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on November 25, 1981 that sent Bobby Gould and Randy Holt to Washington in exchange for Pat Ribble and this pick. The Calgary Flames' second-round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of a trade on June 8, 1982 that sent the Mike Eaves and Keith Hanson to Calgary in exchange for Steve Christoff and an optional second-round pick in 1983 NHL Entry Draft (this pick) or in 1984 NHL entry draft. Calgary previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on September 10, 1982 that sent Calgary's second-round pick in 1983 NHL Entry Draft and third-round pick in 1984 NHL entry draft to Montreal in exchange for Doug Risebrough and this pick.
Round three # Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 43 Peter Taglianetti (D) Winnipeg Jets (from Pittsburgh via Montreal)1 Providence College (ECAC) 44 Derrick Smith (LW) Philadelphia Flyers (from Hartford)2 Peterborough Petes (OHL) 45 Daniel Letendre (RW) Montreal Canadiens (from New Jersey)3 Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) 46Bob Probert (LW) Detroit Red Wings Brantford Alexanders (OHL) 47 Bruce Shoebottom (D) Los Angeles Kings Peterborough Petes (OHL) 48 Allan Bester (G) Toronto Maple Leafs Brantford Alexanders (OHL) 49 Vesa Salo (D) New York Rangers (from Winnipeg)4 Rauma (Finland) 50 Scott Tottle (RW) Vancouver Canucks Peterborough Petes (OHL) 51Brian Bradley (C) Calgary Flames London Knights (OHL) 52 Bruce Bell (D) Quebec Nordiques Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 53 Gordie Walker (LW) New York Rangers Portland Winter Halks (WHL) 54 Iiro Jarvi (RW) Quebec Nordiques (from Buffalo)5 HIFK Helsinki (Finland) 55 Perry Berezan (C) Calgary Flames (from Washington)6 St. Albert Saints (AJHL) 56 Mitch Messier (C) Minnesota North Stars Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL) 57 Mike Neill (D) New York Islanders Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 58 Mike Rowe (D) Pittsburgh Penguins (from Montreal)7 Toronto Marlboros (OHL) 59 Marc Bergevin (D) Chicago Black Hawks Chicoutimi Sagueneens (QMJHL) 60 Mike Flanagan (D) Edmonton Oilers Acton-Boxborough High School (USHS-MA) 61 Leif Carlsson (D) Hartford Whalers (from Philadelphia)8 Mora IK (Sweden) 62 Greg Puhalski (LW) Boston Bruins Kitchener Rangers (OHL) Reference: The Montreal Canadiens' third-round pick went to the Winnipeg Jets with $50,000 cash as compensation to allow Montreal to hire Serge Savard as the new general manager on April 28, 1983. Montreal previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on September 26, 1980 that sent Gilles Lupien to Pittsburgh in exchange for Montreal's option to swap third-round picks. The Hartford Whalers' third-round pick went to the Philadelphia Flyers as the result of a trade on August 19, 1982 that sent Greg Adams, Ken Linseman, Philadelphia's first-round and third-round picks in 1983 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Mark Howe and this pick. The New Jersey Devils' third-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on March 10, 1981 that sent Bill Baker to Colorado in exchange for Montreal's option to swap fourth-round picks in 1984 NHL entry draft and this pick. Colorado relocated to New Jersey on May 27, 1982. The Winnipeg Jets' third-round pick went to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on September 8, 1981 that sent Doug Soetaert to Winnipeg in exchange for this pick. The Buffalo Sabres' third-round pick went to the Quebec Nordiques as the result of a trade on June 8, 1983 that sent Real Cloutier and Quebec's 1st-rd pick in 1983 NHL Entry Draft to Buffalo in exchange for Tony McKegney, Jean-Francois Sauve, Andre Savard and this pick. The Washington Capitals' third-round pick went to the Calgary Flames as the result of a trade on June 9, 1982 that sent Ken Houston and Pat Riggin to Washington in exchange for Howard Walker, George White, Washington's sixth-round pick in 1982 NHL entry draft, second-round pick in 1984 NHL entry draft and this pick.