The Ocho: Blackhawks Hope History Repeats with Crazy Eights in NHL Draft

Since the installment of the NHL Amateur Draft in 1963, the IceHogs’ NHL affiliate, the Chicago Blackhawks, held the eighth overall selection on four occasions including this season’s upcoming event June 23-23 in Dallas, Texas.

For the Blackhawks, this year’s draft is the first time the organization has held a top-10 pick since selecting Patrick Kane first overall in 2007 and just the seventh top-10 selection since the turn of the millennium.

Prior to the 1987-88 campaign, the Blackhawks received their first-ever No. 8 selection, young 6-foot-1, 180-pound netminder Jimmy Waite out of the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens. The Sherbrooke, Quebec, native appeared in 58 games with Chicago over parts of eight seasons (1988-97) and enjoyed a 22-year player career before returning to the Blackhawks organization as the Goaltending Coach (2014-present).

The following summer, Chicago nabbed their most successful no. 8 choice with forward Jeremy Roenick in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. The Boston product picked up 66 points his first full rookie campaign and tacked on three 100-point seasons with the Blackhawks and picked up 1,216 career points in 1,363 career games over 20 NHL seasons with Chicago, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Jose.

Forward Mark Bell pushed into the NHL scene during the 2000-01 season after a successful four-year career with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL including a 60-point season in 1997-98 that allowed the Blackhawks to find him at no. 8 in that summer’s lottery. After spending most of the rookie season in Norfolk (AHL), Bell contributed 151 points over five seasons in Chicago before departing to San Jose, Toronto, Anaheim and overseas.

No. 8 Selections – Chicago Blackhawks

1987 Jimmy Waite

1988 Jeremy Roenick

1998 Mark Bell

Most Successful No. 8 Selections – NHL History

1987 Jeremy Roenick (1216 points in 1363 games)

1979 Ray Bourque (Boston, 1579 points in 1612 games)

1981 Grant Fuhr (Edmonton, 867 games played, 3.38 goals-against average)

No. 8 Selections – Last 30 Years

2018 Chicago Blackhawks

2017 Casey Mittelstadt Buffalo Sabres

2016 Alexander Nylander Buffalo Sabres

2015 Zach Werenski Columbus Blue Jackets

2014 William Nylander Toronto Maple Leafs

2013 Rasmus Ristolainen Buffalo Sabres

2012 Derrick Pouliot Pittsburgh Penguins

2011 Sean Couturier Philadelphia Flyers

2010 Alexander Burmistrov Atlanta Thrashers

2009 Scott Glennie Dallas Stars

2008 Mikkel Boedker Phoenix Coyotes

2007 Zach Hamill Boston Bruins

2006 Peter Mueller Phoenix Coyotes

2005 Devin Setoguchi San Jose Sharks

2004 Alexandre Picard Columbus Blue Jackets

2003 Braydon Coburn Atlanta Thrashers

2002 Pierre-Marc Bouchard Minnesota Wild

2001 Pascal Leclaire Columbus Blue Jackets

2000 Nikita Alexeev Tampa Bay Lightning

1999 Taylor Pyatt New York Islanders

1998 Mark Bell Chicago Blackhawks

1997 Sergei Samsonov Boston Bruins

1996 Johnathan Aitken Boston Bruins

1995 Terry Ryan Montreal Canadiens

1994 Jason Wiemer Tampa Bay Lightning

1993 Niklas Sundstrom New York Rangers

1992 Brandon Convery Toronto Maple Leafs

1991 Richard Matvichuk Minnesota North Stars

1990 Derian Hatcher Minnesota North Stars

1989 Jason Herter Vancouver Canucks

1988 Jeremy Roenick Chicago Blackhawks