By the numbers: The First Overall Pick

MONTREAL -- The Canadiens will have the privilege of drafting first overall at the upcoming draft, which will be held in Montreal on July 7 and 8. Here's a look at the history of the first overall pick by the numbers.

59 - In total, 59 players have been selected first overall since the Amateur Draft was first held in 1963. The event was renamed the 'Entry Draft' in 1979, in conjunction with a rule change to include players that had previously played professional hockey with the defunct World Hockey Association.
27 - The Canadiens have hosted the draft 27 times, more than any other NHL city, including every draft held between 1963 and 1984.
8 - Eight players selected first overall have since been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

11 - Many players chosen first have gone on to enjoy great inaugural seasons, including 11 Calder Memorial Trophy winners as the NHL's rookie of the year.
40- Forwards have dominated the first-overall list, with 40 selections. Defensemen have been chosen first overall 16 times, whereas goaltenders have gone first on just three occasions.
5 - The Canadiens have been awarded the first overall pick five different times before 2022, including in 1963, which led to the first player ever selected in an NHL Draft, Garry Monahan.
1,353 - Guy Lafleur was chosen first overall in 1971, scoring 1,353 points in his legendary career. The Canadiens ended up with the first overall pick due to some fancy maneuvering by General Manager Sam Pollock, who convinced the California Golden Seals to trade their first pick in 1971 for the Canadiens' first pick in 1970. To ensure the Golden Seals would end up with the best pick, Pollock then dealt Ralph Backstrom to the Los Angeles Kings, who were threatening to finish last at the time of the deal. The move worked perfectly, as the Kings played their way out of the basement of the standings, ensuring the Canadiens put their hands on Le Démond Blond.

1997 - Joe Thornton is the oldest active first overall pick currently playing in the NHL, selected by the Boston Bruins in 1997.
43 - Of the 59 players chosen first, 43 have hailed from Canada. The United States places second with eight first picks, followed by Russia with three.
1980 - The last time the Canadiens drafted first was back in 1980. They chose forward Doug Wickenheiser, who, despite not living up to the expectations, was the clear-cut consensus as to the best player available in the Draft.
1,723 - Montreal native Mario Lemieux was the most successful first overall pick of all time, scoring 1,723 points in 915 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but he's far from the only elite player to hear his name called first. Players such as Denis Potvin, Dale Hawerchuk, Gilbert Perrault, Mike Modano, Mats Sundin, Eric Lindros, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Vincent Lecavalier, Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid have also earned first-overall honors in their Draft year.