So far in this series, we’ve looked at the history of the 18th overall pick, the 32nd overall pick, the 54th overall pick, the 80th overall pick, and the 144th overall pick. The Flames have two other picks, the 176th overall and the 208th overall.

In this article, we’ll take a look at the history of the 176th overall pick, including what the Flames have done with it, as well as notable players from around the league.

Flames select Ryan Gillis in 1995

The first time the Flames selected 176th overall was in the 1995 draft, using it to select defenceman Ryan Gillis from the North Bay Centennials.

Despite winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1993-94, Gillis never played a game in the National Hockey League; instead, he became a journeyman minor leaguer and played in the International Hockey League, American Hockey League, ECHL, United Hockey League and a season in the United Kingdom.

Gillis’ playing days ended after the 2006-07 season.

Flames select Jukka Hentunen in 2000

Five years later, the Flames selected Jukka Hentunen with the 176th overall pick. The Finnish forward only played 38 games in the National Hockey League, scoring four goals and nine points. He spent 28 of those games with the Flames in 2001-02, before being traded to the Nashville Predators for a conditional pick.

Hentunen left North America after the 2001-02 season, playing in Finland, Switzerland, and Russia, winning the Gagarin Cup with the Kazan Ak-Bars in 2008-09. He retired after the 2012-13 season.

Flames select Curtis McElhinney in 2002

One of the most notable players selected 176th overall happened to be by the Flames in 2002, as they used that pick to select netminder Curtis McElhinney.

The right-handed catching goalie played just 29 games for the Flames from the 2007-08 season until the 2009-10 season. He became a journeyman backup netminder, playing for the Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning.

McElhinney’s last two seasons were with the Lightning in 2019-20 and 2020-21, serving as the team’s backup as they won back-to-back Stanley Cups.

Flames select Yegor Yegorov in 2023

In 2023, the Flames selected another netminder, Yegor Yegorov. The jury is still out on him, but he played with Krylya Sovetov Jr. in Russia’s junior league, posting a .904 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average in 20 games. This was down from his .917 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average in 25 games in 2023-24.

Yegorov played four games in Russia’s version of the American Hockey League, posting an .870 save percentage and 3.38 goals against average in four games.

Notable players selected 176th overall

The most notable player selected 176th without question is defenceman Marek Židlický. Born in Czechia, Židlický played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Nashville Predators, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Islanders. He went to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Devils in 2012 after a mid-season trade. Overall, Židlický finished with 89 goals and 417 points in 836 games, leading all three categories for 176th overall picks.

Second in all three categories is Samuel Pahlsson, who was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. He scored 68 goals and 199 points in 798 games. He, along with McElhinney, is two of three players selected 176th overall to have won the Stanley Cup.

There were two players named “Steve” with a last name that starts with “We” who played in the National Hockey League. Steve Weeks was selected in 1978 by the New York Rangers and played 290 games with an .872 save percentage. Steve Webb played 321 NHL games, scoring five goals and 18 points after being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1994.

Ten years after selecting Webb, the Sabres selected Patrick Kaleta with the 176th pick. He went on to score 27 goals and 54 points in 348 games, all with the Buffalo Sabres. Another player who found success in a short period was Sandy Moger, who scored 41 goals and 79 points in 236 points after the Vancouver Canucks selected him in the 1989 draft.

There are a handful of players selected 176th overall who played less than 100 games: Miloslav Hořava, Petteri Lindbohm, Hentunen, Tyler Randell, and Jason Widmer.

The only other player that I haven’t mentioned yet is Sammy Blais. Of the 13 players who’ve played NHL games, Blais is currently the only player who has played in the NHL the past two seasons, doing so with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers. In 2019, he won the Stanley Cup with the Blues and has scored 27 goals and 71 points in 257 games. He recently won the Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks, scoring five goals and 18 points in 22 post-season games.

Blais is one of 11 players selected 176th overall who were active in the 2024-25 season. Those players are Charlie Forslund (2024), Yegorov (2023), Jack Dorrington (2022), Dru Krebs (2021), Samuel Johannesson (2020), Anthony Romano (2019), Zachary Emond (2018), Pavel Koltygin (2017), Jakob Stenqvist (2016), Blais (2014), Jeremy Gregoire (2013), and Lindbohm (2012).

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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