1997 NHL Draft
Matt Elich in the 1997 NHL Draft
Tampa Bay Lightning selected Matt Elich 61st overall in the 1997 NHL Draft, with the 8th pick of round 3.
It was the third of the 12 picks Tampa Bay Lightning made in the draft. Of the 246 players selected in 1997, 101 have played in the NHL regular season. His 16 games put him 79th in the class.
- Overall pick
- 61
- Round and pick
- Round 3, pick 8
- Drafting team
- TBLTampa Bay Lightning
- Date
- Age at the draft
- 18 years
The picks around it
Picks 58–64 in the 1997 draft
- 58Jani HurmeG76 GP · 29 WOTTOttawa Senators
- 59Jarrett SmithCNYINew York Islanders
- 60Derek SchutzCCGYCalgary Flames
- 61Matt ElichR16 GP · 2 PTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 62Kris MalletteDPHIPhiladelphia Flyers
- 63Lee GorenR67 GP · 9 PBOSBoston Bruins
- 64Kyle FreadrichL23 GP · 1 PVANVancouver Canucks
Games and points are NHL regular season to date.
Place in the draft class
Where he came in the 1997 class
61st
of 246 players selected
37th
of 136 forwards selected
Counted in draft order across the whole draft. The position is the one listed at the draft.
First off the board
- 1Joe ThorntonC1714 GP · 1539 PBOSBoston Bruins
- 2Patrick MarleauC1779 GP · 1197 PSJSSan Jose Sharks
- 3Olli JokinenC1231 GP · 750 PLAKLos Angeles Kings
- 4Roberto LuongoG1044 GP · 489 WNYINew York Islanders
- 5Eric BrewerD1009 GP · 271 PNYINew York Islanders
- 6Daniel TkaczukC19 GP · 11 PCGYCalgary Flames
- 7Paul MaraD734 GP · 253 PTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 8Sergei SamsonovL888 GP · 571 PBOSBoston Bruins
- 9Nick BoyntonD605 GP · 144 PWSHWashington Capitals
- 10Brad FerenceD250 GP · 34 PVANVancouver Canucks
+ 236 more
After the draft
The road to the NHL
Matt Elich made his NHL debut on February 19, 2000, 2 years and 243 days after the draft.
16
Games
1
Goals
1
Assists
2
Points
NHL regular season to date.
The team's draft
Tampa Bay Lightning picks in the 1997 draft
- 7Paul MaraD734 GP · 253 PTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 33Kyle KosDTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 61Matt ElichR16 GP · 2 PTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 108Mark ThompsonDTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 109Jan SulcCTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 112Karel BetikD3 GP · 2 PTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 153Andrei SkopintsevD40 GP · 6 PTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 168Justin JackRTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 170Eero SomervuoriRTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 185Samuel St. PierreRTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 198Shawn SkolneyDTBLTampa Bay Lightning
- 224Paul ComrieC15 GP · 3 PTBLTampa Bay Lightning