The 1997 NHL entry draft was the 35th draft for the National Hockey League. It was held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh on June 21, 1997.
The last active player from the 1997 draft class was Joe Thornton, who played his last NHL game in the 2021–22 season.
Selections by round Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.
Round one
# Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 1 Joe Thornton (C) Boston Bruins Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) 2 Patrick Marleau (C) San Jose Sharks Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 3 Olli Jokinen (C) Los Angeles Kings HIFK (Finland) 4 Roberto Luongo (G) New York Islanders (from Toronto)1 Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) 5 Eric Brewer (D) New York Islanders Prince George Cougars (WHL) 6 Daniel Tkaczuk (C) Calgary Flames Barrie Colts (OHL) 7 Paul Mara (D) Tampa Bay Lightning Sudbury Wolves (OHL) 8 Sergei Samsonov (LW) Boston Bruins (from Carolina)2 Detroit Vipers (IHL) 9 Nick Boynton (D) Washington Capitals Ottawa 67's (OHL) 10 Brad Ference (D) Vancouver Canucks Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 11 Jason Ward (RW) Montreal Canadiens Erie Otters (OHL) 12 Marian Hossa (RW) Ottawa Senators Dukla Trencin (Slovakia) 13 Daniel Cleary (LW) Chicago Blackhawks Belleville Bulls (OHL) 14 Michel Riesen (RW) Edmonton Oilers EHC Biel (Switzerland) 15 Matt Zultek (LW) Los Angeles Kings (from St. Louis via Edmonton and St. Louis)3 Ottawa 67's (OHL) 16 Ty Jones (LW) Chicago Blackhawks (from Phoenix)4 Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 17 Robert Dome (RW) Pittsburgh Penguins Las Vegas Thunder (IHL) 18 Michael Holmqvist (C) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Djurgardens IF (Sweden) 19 Stefan Cherneski (RW) New York Rangers Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) 20 Mike Brown (LW) Florida Panthers Red Deer Rebels (WHL) 21 Mika Noronen (G) Buffalo Sabres Tappara (Finland) 22 Nikos Tselios (D) Carolina Hurricanes (from Detroit)5 Belleville Bulls (OHL) 23 Scott Hannan (D) San Jose Sharks (from Philadelphia via Carolina)6 Kelowna Rockets (WHL) 24 Jean-Francois Damphousse (G) New Jersey Devils Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) 25 Brenden Morrow (LW) Dallas Stars Portland Winter Hawks (WHL) 26 Kevin Grimes (D) Colorado Avalanche Kingston Frontenacs (OHL) Toronto's first-round pick went to the Islanders as the result of a trade on March 13, 1996 that sent Wendel Clark, Mathieu Schneider and D.J. Smith to Toronto in exchange for Sean Haggerty, Darby Hendrickson, Kenny Jonsson and this pick. Carolina's first-round pick went to Boston as the result of a trade on August 26, 1994 that sent Glen Wesley to Hartford in exchange for first-round picks of the 1995 entry draft and the 1996 entry draft along with this pick. Hartford relocated to Carolina after the 1996–97 NHL season. St. Louis' first-round pick went to Los Angeles as the result of a trade on February 27, 1996 that sent Wayne Gretzky to St. Louis in exchange for Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, a fifth-round pick of the 1996 entry draft and this pick. St. Louis' first-round pick was re-acquired as the result of a trade with Edmonton on August 4, 1995 that sent Curtis Joseph and the rights to Mike Grier to Edmonton in exchange a first-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft and this pick. Edmonton previously acquired this pick and a first-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft as compensation on July 28, 1995 after St. Louis signed free agent Shayne Corson. Phoenix's first-round pick went to Chicago as the result of a trade on August 16, 1996 that sent Jeremy Roenick to Phoenix in exchange for Craig Mills, Alexei Zhamnov and this pick. Detroit's first-round pick went to Hartford as the result of a trade on October 9, 1996 that sent Brian Glynn and Brendan Shanahan to Detroit in exchange for Paul Coffey, Keith Primeau and this pick. Hartford relocated to Raleigh to become the Carolina Hurricanes after the 1996–97 NHL season. Carolina's acquired first-round pick went to San Jose as the result of a trade on June 21, 1997 that sent a second-round in the 1997 Entry Draft and a third-round pick in the 1998 entry draft to Carolina in exchange for this pick. Hartford's previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on December 15, 1996 that sent Paul Coffey and a third-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft to Philadelphia in exchange for Kevin Haller, a seventh-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft and this pick. Hartford relocated to Raleigh to become the Carolina Hurricanes after the 1996–97 NHL season.
Round two # Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 27 Ben Clymer (RW) Boston Bruins University of Minnesota (WCHA) 28 Brad DeFauw (LW) Carolina Hurricanes (from San Jose)1 University of North Dakota (WCHA) 29 Scott Barney (C) Los Angeles Kings Peterborough Petes (OHL) 30 Jean-Marc Pelletier (G) Philadelphia Flyers (from Toronto)2 Cornell University (ECAC) 31 Jeff Zehr (LW) New York Islanders Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 32 Evan Lindsay (G) Calgary Flames Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) 33 Kyle Kos (D) Tampa Bay Lightning Red Deer Rebels (WHL) 34 Ryan Bonni (D) Vancouver Canucks (from Carolina)3 Saskatoon Blades (WHL) 35 Jean-Francois Fortin (D) Washington Capitals Sherbrooke Faucons (QMJHL) 36 Harold Druken (C) Vancouver Canucks Detroit Whalers (OHL) 37 Gregor Baumgartner (RW) Montreal Canadiens Laval Titan College Francais (QMJHL) 38 Stanislav Gron (C) New Jersey Devils (from Ottawa)4 Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) 39 Jeremy Reich (C) Chicago Blackhawks Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 40 Tyler Rennette (C) St. Louis Blues (compensatory)5 North Bay Centennials (OHL) 41 Patrick Dovigi (G) Edmonton Oilers Erie Otters (OHL) 42 John Tripp (RW) Calgary Flames (from St. Louis)6 Oshawa Generals (OHL) 43 Juha Gustafsson (D) Phoenix Coyotes Kiekko-Espoo (Finland) 44 Brian Gaffaney (D) Pittsburgh Penguins North Iowa Huskies (USHL) 45 Maxim Balmochnykh (LW) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Lada Togliatti (Russia) 46 Wes Jarvis (D) New York Rangers Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 47 Kristian Huselius (LW) Florida Panthers Farjestad BK (Sweden) 48 Henrik Tallinder (D) Buffalo Sabres AIK IF Jr. (Sweden) 49 Yuri Butsayev (LW) Detroit Red Wings Lada Togliatti (Russia) 50 Pat Kavanagh (RW) Philadelphia Flyers Peterborough Petes (OHL) 51 Dmitri Kokorev (D) Calgary Flames (from New Jersey via Carolina)7 Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 52 Roman Lyashenko (C) Dallas Stars Torpedo Yaroslavl (Russia) 53 Graham Belak (LW) Colorado Avalanche Edmonton Ice (WHL) San Jose's second-round pick went to Carolina as the result of a trade on June 21, 1997 that sent a first-round in the 1997 Entry Draft to San Jose in exchange for a third-round pick in the 1998 entry draft and this pick. Toronto's first-round pick went to Philadelphia as the result of a trade on August 30, 1995 that sent Dmitry Yushkevich and a second-round pick in the 1996 entry draft to Toronto in exchange for a first-round and a fourth-round picks in the 1996 entry draft along with this pick. Carolina's second-round pick went to Vancouver as the result of a trade on December 19, 1995 that sent Jeff Brown and a third-round pick in the 1998 entry draft to Hartford in exchange for Jim Dowd, Frantisek Kucera and this pick. Hartford relocated to Raleigh to become the Carolina Hurricanes after the 1996–97 NHL season. St. Louis' second-round pick went to Calgary as the result of a trade on July 4, 1994 that sent Al MacInnis and a fourth-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft to St. Louis in exchange for Phil Housley, a second-round pick in the 1996 entry draft and this pick. St. Louis acquired this pick as compensation on July 21, 1996 after the Rangers signed free agent Wayne Gretzky. Ottawa's second-round pick went to New Jersey as the result of a trade on June 21, 1997 that sent two third-round picks (# 58 and # 66 overall) in the 1997 Entry Draft to Ottawa in exchange for this pick. Carolina's second-round pick went to Calgary as the result of a trade on March 5, 1997 that sent Steve Chiasson and a third-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft to Hartford in exchange for Hnat Domenichelli, Glen Featherstone, a third-round pick in the 1998 entry draft and this pick. Hartford relocated to Raleigh to become the Carolina Hurricanes after the 1996–97 NHL season. Hartford previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on December 19, 1995 that sent Jocelyn Lemieux and a second-round pick in the 1998 entry draft to New Jersey in exchange for Jim Dowd and this pick.
Round three # Player Nationality NHL team College/junior/club team 54 Mattias Karlin (C) Boston Bruins Modo Hockey (Sweden) 55 Rick Berry (D) Colorado Avalanche (from San Jose via St. Louis)1 Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) 56 Vratislav Cech (D) Florida Panthers (from Los Angeles)2 Kitchener Rangers (OHL) 57 Jeff Farkas (C) Toronto Maple Leafs Boston College (Hockey East) 58 Jani Hurme (G) Ottawa Senators (from New Jersey; compensatory)3 TPS (Finland) 59 Jarrett Smith (C) New York Islanders Prince George Cougars (WHL) 60 Derek Schutz (C) Calgary Flames Spokane Chiefs (WHL) 61 Matt Elich (RW) Tampa Bay Lightning Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 62 Kris Mallette (D) Philadelphia Flyers (from Carolina)4 Kelowna Rockets (WHL) 63 Lee Goren (RW) Boston Bruins (from Washington)5 University of North Dakota (WCHA) 64 Kyle Freadrich (LW) Vancouver Canucks Regina Pats (WHL) 65 Ilkka Mikkola (D) Montreal Canadiens Karpat (Finland) 66 Josh Langfeld (RW) Ottawa Senators (from Ottawa via New Jersey)6 Lincoln Stars (USHL) 67 Michael Souza (LW) Chicago Blackhawks University of New Hampshire (Hockey East) 68 Sergei Yerkovich (D) Edmonton Oilers Las Vegas Thunder (IHL) 69 Maxim Afinogenov (RW) Buffalo Sabres (from St. Louis)7 Dynamo Moscow (Russia) 70 Erik Andersson (RW) Calgary Flames (from Phoenix; compensatory)8 University of Denver (WCHA) 71 Josef Melichar (D) Pittsburgh Penguins HC Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic) 72 Jay Legault (RW) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim London Knights (OHL) 73 Burke Henry (D) New York Rangers Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) 74 Nick Smith (C) Florida Panthers Barrie Colts (OHL) 75 Jeff Martin (C) Buffalo Sabres Windsor Spitfires (OHL) 76 Petr Sykora (C) Detroit Red Wings HC Pardubice (Czech Republic) 77 Steve Gainey (LW) Dallas Stars (from Philadelphia)9 Kamloops Blazers (WHL) 78 Ville Nieminen (LW) Colorado Avalanche (from New Jersey via St. Louis)10 Tappara (Finland) 79 Robert Schnabel (D) New York Islanders (from Dallas)11 Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) 80 Francis Lessard (RW) Carolina Hurricanes (from Colorado via New York Islanders and Calgary)12 Val-d'Or Foreurs (QMJHL) St. Louis' third-round pick went to Colorado as the result of a trade on May 30, 1997 that sent Brent Johnson to St. Louis in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in the 2000 entry draft and this pick. Conditions of the conditional draft pick are unknown. St. Louis previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade with San Jose on March 6, 1995 that sent Craig Janney and cash and to San Jose in exchange for Jeff Norton and this pick. The pick was a conditional third-round pick at the time of the trade and conditions of the pick are unknown. Los Angeles' third-round pick went to Florida as the result of a trade on November 28, 1996 that sent Brad Smyth to Los Angeles in exchange for this pick. New Jersey's acquired third-round pick went to Ottawa as the result of a trade on June 21, 1997 that sent a second-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft to New Jersey in exchange for a third-round pick (# 66 overall) in the 1997 Entry Draft and this pick. New Jersey acquired this pick as compensation on July 22, 1996 after Washington signed free agent Phil Housley. Carolina's third-round pick went to Philadelphia as the result of a trade on December 15, 1996 that sent Kevin Haller, a first-round and seventh-round picks in the 1997 Entry Draft to Hartford in exchange for Paul Coffey and this pick. Hartford relocated to Raleigh to become the Carolina Hurricanes after the 1996–97 NHL season.