Walter Thomas John McKechnie is a Canadian former professional hockey centre. He played for nine teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) and four minor professional teams over a 17-year pro career. Being drafted sixth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1963 NHL amateur draft, he is the franchise's first ever draft pick.
Michael Alfred Gartner is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes. He also played one season in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Cincinnati Stingers. He was a two-time Canada Cup champion with Team Canada.
Douglas McArthur Jarvis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals and Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League. He was a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Canadiens.
Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1999, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars, but also notably with the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he had his third-highest scoring season. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not drafted by an NHL team. Ciccarelli was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010.
Thomas Lewis Colley was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played one game in the National Hockey League, with the Minnesota North Stars on March 12, 1975. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1973 to 1986, was spent in the minor leagues. Colley's son, Kevin, also played in the NHL.
Dennis John Maruk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1975 to 1989, scoring a career-high 60 goals for the Washington Capitals in 1981–82. Maruk is of Ukrainian descent.
Michael Scott Palmateer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goalie. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1976 to 1984 for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals.
The 1979 NHL Entry Draft was the 17th NHL Entry Draft. It took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 126 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1978–79 NHL season and playoff standings. The draft was the first to be conducted after the NHL-WHA merger, which had included its own 1979 NHL expansion draft, held on June 13, 1979. As part of the terms of the merger, the four former WHA teams had joined the NHL on the condition that they be placed at the bottom of the entry draft order, as opposed to the top of the order as is usually the case for expansion teams.
Donald William Beaupré is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 17 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, Washington Capitals, Ottawa Senators, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dennis Hextall is a former professional hockey forward who spent most of his career with the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings. He is the son of Bryan Hextall, brother of Bryan Hextall Jr., uncle of Ron Hextall and sportscaster Leah Hextall, and great-uncle of AHL player Brett Hextall.
Timothy Leif "T. J." Oshie is an American professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, as the 24th overall pick. He then spent the first seven years of his NHL career with the Blues before being traded to the Washington Capitals in 2015. Oshie won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Capitals in 2018.
Bryan Joseph Watson was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, Oakland Seals, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues, and Washington Capitals from 1963 to 1979, and briefly in the World Hockey Association with the Cincinnati Stingers. He later served as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers during the 1980–81 NHL season.
Gregory James Smith is a Canadian former ice hockey player. He played for five teams in the National Hockey League between 1976 and 1988. Internationally Smith represented the Canadian national team at the 1977 and 1979 World Championships.
Wesley Herbert Jarvis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League with four teams between 1979 and 1988, though much of his career was spent in the minor American Hockey League. His cousin, Doug Jarvis, also played in the NHL.
Kevin Kaminski is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 139 games in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars, Quebec Nordiques, and Washington Capitals between 1988 and 1997. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1998 to 2000, was spent in the minor leagues, where his role was an enforcer. He is currently the head coach of the La Ronge Ice Wolves of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Errol Attilio Rausse is a Canadian former ice hockey player. He played 31 games in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals from 1979 to 1982. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1979 to 1994, was mainly spent in the Italian Hockey League.
Robert David Moore was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 6 games in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals during the 1978–79 and 1982–83 seasons. He played his college hockey at the University of Michigan and the University of Western Ontario. Author John U. Bacon claims that Moore was one of the first goalies in either college or professional hockey to not only come out of his net and handle the puck like a defenseman, but "actually shoot it as well as the forwards." As a minor league goaltender, Moore won the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award in 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1980–81, sharing the award with a different teammate each time.
William Robert Mikkelson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League from 1971 to 1977. Mikkelson is known for posting the worst plus/minus rating in single-season NHL history at -82 for the Washington Capitals in 1974–75.
Stéphane Roy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 12 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Minnesota North Stars during the 1987–88 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1987 to 2003, was spent in various minor leagues.
David Henry Jensen is an American former ice hockey player who played in 18 National Hockey League games with the Minnesota North Stars between 1984 and 1986. He is the younger brother of Paul Jensen.
