25 Years Later, Rick DiPietro Reflects on First-Overall Selection

Being drafted by an NHL team is a life-altering moment for any prospect, but being selected first overall comes with a whole new level of responsibility, anticipation and expectations. The first-overall designation is a sign of a franchise’s investment and trust in a young player’s on-ice performance and character. It’s something many talented players dream of, but only one per year actually get to experience.

For Rick DiPietro, the New York Islanders’ first-overall pick in the 2000 NHL Draft, the magnitude of being drafted first overall didn’t sink in until the moment arrived.

“Even though I knew, it was still surreal,” DiPietro said. “They can tell you, but until you hear your name called and you walk up there and get the jersey… it’s something where I didn’t really believe it until it actually happened. Once they said my name, I thought about all the work and all the sacrifices my parents and brother made. To finally be on that stage as the first-overall pick, it’s a day you’ll never forget.”

Admittedly - and as expected - he had some nerves when he was in Calgary, Alberta with his friends and family on the morning of June 24^th, 2000.

“Thankfully I didn’t wear my suit that morning because I was nervous to the point where I dropped yogurt on myself,” DiPietro said with a laugh.

At 18 years old, the netminder was the top-ranked North American goaltender by NHL Central Scouting and was widely considered one of the best players available in his draft class. DiPietro had a standout freshman season at Boston University where he went 18-5-5 and posted a .913 SV% and a 2.45 GAA through 29 games. As good as his season was, it wasn’t until an impressive showing at the World Juniors, where he posted a 1.81 GAA and a .935 SV% for Team USA and was named the top goalie in the tournament, did he find his name in the top-five range of draft conversations.

That left DiPietro with an important decision to make after his season at BU was over. Opting into the draft would void three years of NCAA eligibility, but with NHL dreams, he ultimately went all-in to pursue a pro path.

“It was interesting because I had such a good time at BU, but also understanding that the intention was always to get drafted,” DiPietro said. “So I made the decision to forgo the rest of college and got the good fortune of being the first-overall pick.”

DiPietro wasn’t completely sure he’d be taken first overall up until the draft process was over, including the conclusion of the NHL Scouting Combine and meetings with teams. The Isles held the first-overall pick that year, but there were also a few variables to consider, as the Islanders had a high-caliber netminder in Robert Luongo - who the Isles drafted fourth overall in 1997 - in the system.

DiPietro turned heads at the 2000 Scouting Combine in Toronto. Through fitness testing and opportunities for teams to get to know DiPietro on a personal level, Islanders General Manager Mike Milbury seemed to take a liking to the netminder.

“At one point when we were doing the grip strength test that my hand had slipped off,” DiPietro said. “I asked to re-do it, which I think Mike Milbury saw at the time and thought that was part of how competitive I was, which is something they actually liked, so you never actually know. With all the interviews and the combine and that process, you don’t know what they’re actually looking for, you just have to be yourself and if they like you, great. And fortunately for me, the Islanders liked me.”

Selecting a netminder first overall is unconventional. It only happened once prior when the Montreal Canadiens picked Michel Plasse first overall in the 1968 Amateur Draft, but in very different circumstances due to the NHL’s sponsorship of junior teams at the time. DiPietro remains one of just two goalies in history to be selected first overall in the modern iteration of the draft with Marc-Andre Fleury being the other in 2003.

With the Isles holding the first pick and DiPietro as a top player in the draft class, the 18-year-old knew he was fated to enter an organization with rich history and a track record of success. The Winthrop, Massachusetts native was drawn to the team because of the proximity to his hometown and relished the opportunity to wear the same jersey as Tim Connolly – a childhood friend – who was drafted by the Islanders fifth overall in the year prior.

“I knew about the amazing history, the Stanley Cup runs, all that stuff,” DiPietro said. “I heard from Timmy and some of the other guys that I got to talk to. So, I had some sense of what the organization was about, but it wasn’t until I got drafted that I got to really sit down with Charles [Wang] and Mike [Milbury] and get to know everybody that I kind of really understand what it meant to be an Islander.”

The netminder viewed his draft day as a launch pad. He understood that the great responsibility that comes with being a first-round pick and wanted to make sure he gave his best effort to the team that showed immense trust in him.

“The goal is to get to the point to get drafted, but the work doesn’t stop there,” DiPietro said. “Any of these teams that was going to take a chance and draft me, it’s on me now and I owe it to them to make sure that they’re right. It’s obviously a good time to celebrate and have a good time with your family and friends, but it’s just the beginning. That’s when the work starts.”

That fall, DiPietro reported to Lake Placid and had the prime chance to learn from proven pros, such as John Vanbiesbrouck and Wade Flaherty. DiPietro also made his NHL debut that season, playing 20 games.

“I was the new guy, I was the young kid,” DiPietro said. “I wanted to absorb as much knowledge as possible. You don’t know what you don’t know, and when you have the opportunity to be around guys like that, guys like Steve Webb and other guys that helped me along the way, it was important that you showed up and were respectful and you learned as much as you could.”

DiPietro would eventually help lead Bridgeport to a Calder Cup Final in the 2001-02 season and the number one pick became the Isles number one goalie starting in the 2003-04 season.

A string of injuries ultimately hampered DiPietro and limited his career to 318 NHL games. Before the injuries took hold, DiPietro delivered some solid seasons for the Islanders and is one of just two Islanders netminders to record multiple 30-win seasons, with Ilya Sorokin being the other. He played for Team USA at the 2006 Olympics and represented the Isles at the 2008 All-Star Game.

He retired in 2013 after a 130-136-8 record for the Islanders, along with a 2.87 GAA and a .902 SV% and 16 shutouts. His 130 wins are still third in franchise history.

Looking back, DiPietro insisted he had the right mindset, intentions and work ethic since his big moment as the first overall pick draft day.

“It’s a huge responsibility,” DiPietro said. “There’s a lot of pressure that comes with that and a lot of expectations. For me personally, I don’t want to speak for everybody but for me, I wanted to make sure I did everything I could do to make it look like they made the right pick, that was my intention.”