The History of the #25 NHL Draft Pick

The Chicago Blackhawks hold the 3rd and 25th overall draft selections in the opening round of the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft. Last week, we reviewed Chicago's history with the 3rd pick, having selected some legendary players previously such as Denis Savard, Ed Olczyk and Jonathan Toews.

Now, let's examine the history of the 25th overall pick in the NHL. The Hawks have held this draft spot three times before and have selected Daniel Arndt (1975), Kevin Griffin (1981) and Sam Rinzel (2022). The defenseman Rinzel is the lone skater of that trio to have made it to the NHL.

There are plenty of examples of teams hitting home runs with the 25th pick and finding key organizational pieces late in the first-round.

Mark Howe (1974): Hall of Fame defenseman Mark Howe enjoyed a 16-year NHL career with the Whalers, Flyers and Red Wings. He collected 742 career points and his 28 shorthanded goals are the most in NHL history by a defenseman.

Todd Gill (1984): A two-year captain of the San Jose Sharks, Todd Gill played over 1,000 NHL games between seven teams. The defenseman played five games with the Blackhawks during the 2002-03 season.

Kevyn Adams (1993): The American born forward and current General Manager of the Buffalo Sabres, Kevyn Adams, skated in over 500 NHL games during his career. He won the Stanley Cup as a member of the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes and finished his playing days with the Blackhawks for one season in 2008.

Brenden Morrow (1997): Winger, Brendan Morrow, spent seven seasons wearing the "C" for the Stars during his 13 years in Dallas. A gold medalist for Team Canada, he collected 575 NHL points (265g, 310a).

Steve Ott (2000): A draft selection of the Dallas Stars, forward Steve Ott made a living by using his physicality to throw off opposing teams. Now a coach with the St. Louis Blues, he racked up over 1,500 penalty minutes during his impactful NHL career.

Cam Ward (2002): Stanley Cup winning goaltender, Cam Ward, holds the franchise record with the Hurricanes for most wins (318) in franchise history. He was named an All-Star in 2011 and finished his career with the Blackhawks, playing in 33 games for Chicago in 2018-19.

Andrew Cogliano (2005): Following a 17-year NHL career, the Oilers' draft pick Andrew Cogliano just announced his retirement last year. A Stanley Cup champ with the Avalanche in 2022, the forward skated in 1,294 regular season games and suited up for 131 playoff contests as well.

David Pastrnak (2014): Two time NHL All-Star, David Pastrnak has fired in 391 goals in his 12 years with Boston. The Bruins star scored 48 times in 2019-20 and won the Maurice Richard Award, given to the player who scores the most NHL goals in the season.

The 2025 NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 27 and June 28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.