1981 NHL Draft
Jim Benning in the 1981 NHL Draft
Toronto Maple Leafs selected Jim Benning 6th overall in the 1981 NHL Draft.
It was the first of the 9 picks Toronto Maple Leafs made in the draft. Of the 211 players selected in 1981, 114 have played in the NHL regular season. His 605 games put him 27th in the class.
- Overall pick
- 6
- Round and pick
- Round 1, pick 6
- Drafting team
- TORToronto Maple Leafs
- Date
- Age at the draft
- 18 years
The picks around it
Picks 3–9 in the 1981 draft
- 3Bobby CarpenterC1178 GP · 728 PWSHWashington Capitals
- 4Ron FrancisC1731 GP · 1798 PHFDHartford Whalers
- 5Joe CirellaD828 GP · 275 PCLRColorado Rockies
- 6Jim BenningD605 GP · 243 PTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 7Mark HunterR628 GP · 383 PMTLMontréal Canadiens
- 8Grant FuhrG868 GP · 403 WEDMEdmonton Oilers
- 9James PatrickD1280 GP · 639 PNYRNew York Rangers
Games and points are NHL regular season to date.
Place in the draft class
Where he came in the 1981 class
6th
of 211 players selected
2nd
of 67 defensemen selected
Counted in draft order across the whole draft. The position is the one listed at the draft.
First off the board
- 1Dale HawerchukC1188 GP · 1409 PWINWinnipeg Jets
- 2Doug SmithC535 GP · 253 PLAKLos Angeles Kings
- 3Bobby CarpenterC1178 GP · 728 PWSHWashington Capitals
- 4Ron FrancisC1731 GP · 1798 PHFDHartford Whalers
- 5Joe CirellaD828 GP · 275 PCLRColorado Rockies
- 6Jim BenningD605 GP · 243 PTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 7Mark HunterR628 GP · 383 PMTLMontréal Canadiens
- 8Grant FuhrG868 GP · 403 WEDMEdmonton Oilers
- 9James PatrickD1280 GP · 639 PNYRNew York Rangers
- 10Garth ButcherD897 GP · 206 PVANVancouver Canucks
+ 201 more
After the draft
The road to the NHL
Jim Benning made his NHL debut on October 6, 1981, 118 days after the draft.
605
Games
52
Goals
191
Assists
243
Points
NHL regular season to date.
The team's draft
Toronto Maple Leafs picks in the 1981 draft
- 6Jim BenningD605 GP · 243 PTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 24Gary YaremchukC34 GP · 5 PTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 55Ernie GoddenC5 GP · 2 PTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 90Normand LafrancoisLTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 102Barry BrigleyCTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 132Andrew WrightDTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 153Richard TurmelDTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 174Greg BarberDTORToronto Maple Leafs
- 195Marc MagnanL4 GP · 1 PTORToronto Maple Leafs