1981 NHL Draft
Ron Francis in the 1981 NHL Draft
Hartford Whalers selected Ron Francis 4th overall in the 1981 NHL Draft.
It was the first of the 9 picks Hartford Whalers made in the draft. Of the 211 players selected in 1981, 114 have played in the NHL regular season. None of them has played more games than his 1731, and none has scored more points than his 1798.
- Overall pick
- 4
- Round and pick
- Round 1, pick 4
- Drafting team
- HFDHartford Whalers
- Date
- Age at the draft
- 18 years
The picks around it
Picks 1–7 in the 1981 draft
- 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
Games and points are NHL regular season to date.
Place in the draft class
Where he came in the 1981 class
4th
of 211 players selected
4th
of 119 forwards 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
Ron Francis made his NHL debut on November 14, 1981, 157 days after the draft.
1731
Games
549
Goals
1249
Assists
1798
Points
NHL regular season to date.
The team's draft
Hartford Whalers picks in the 1981 draft
- 4Ron FrancisC1731 GP · 1798 PHFDHartford Whalers
- 61Paul MacdermidR690 GP · 258 PHFDHartford Whalers
- 67Mike HoffmanL9 GP · 4 PHFDHartford Whalers
- 93William MaguireDHFDHartford Whalers
- 103Dan BourbonnaisL59 GP · 28 PHFDHartford Whalers
- 130John MokosakD41 GP · 2 PHFDHartford Whalers
- 151Denis DoreRHFDHartford Whalers
- 172Jeffrey PoeschlGHFDHartford Whalers
- 193Larry PowerCHFDHartford Whalers