A Look Back At The 2003 NHL Draft

As we gear up for the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, we must revisit the last draft held in Nashville. The 2003 Draft class is widely regarded as one of the best. Members of this class have won 21 Stanley Cups. Marc-André Fleury himself has acquired three of them as the first overall pick. This draft class also was the last time we saw a goaltender taken as the overall first pick.

This year would churn out 16 players that would play over 1,000 games each, a remarkably long career in the NHL. We’ll examine a few NHL players who have thrived since being drafted in 2003.

Marc-André Fleury

There is always an expectation for the first pick of the 2003 draft to excel. Fleury has surpassed all those expectations and more. He has won three Stanley Cups, all with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Two of them occurred in two consecutive years. Across four teams, he’s played 985 games and holds a 544-315-91 record, ranking third in all-time wins. The way Fleury is winning games suggests he will pass Patrick Roy next season without difficulty. “The Flower” will stay with the Minnesota Wild for an extra year, and his eventual induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is a certainty. 

Eric Staal

Eric Staal, who was the second overall pick in the draft, played in the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals with his brother Marc Staal and the Florida Panthers. Eric’s eagerness to get in the middle of things assisted the Carolina Hurricanes in winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. He is now a part of the elite Triple Gold Club after winning gold medals in the World Championships and the Olympics. Having been an All-Star six times, he will become a free agent this summer. With his 1,365 games of experience, this veteran would bring valuable leadership to any team’s locker room. 

Thomas Vanek

As the fifth overall pick, Thomas Vanek became the highest-drafted Austrian-born player ever. He played for the Buffalo Sabres for most of his 14 NHL seasons. After being traded to the New York Islanders, he would face challenges in finding a home after his ninth season in Buffalo. Despite this, Vanek put up eight seasons of 25 goals or more and remained a beneficial asset on the ice. He retired after completing his second stint with the Detroit Red Wings and accumulating 789 points in 1,029 NHL games.

Ryan Suter 

The bar will always be high for the son of an Olympic gold medalist. Coming from hockey royalty in Bob Suter, the family is known for great defensemen. Ryan Suter has achieved some NHL success, but never won a cup. Suter has become known as a workhorse on the backend. He has led the league in average time on ice four times in his 19-year career and counting. He would earn a silver medal at the 2010 Olympics with the United States losing to Canada in overtime. Suter has 1,362 games to his credit amongst three teams. He most recently helped take the Dallas Stars to the Western Conference Finals, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights four games to two.

Jeff Carter

Proving his worth in the pros didn’t take long for Jeff Carter. Just after joining the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms in 2004, he scored 23 points in only 21 playoff games. The Phantoms’ success would lead to a Calder Cup Championship and Carter’s promotion to the NHL. Six years later, Carter won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings, securing the most playoff goals along the way. In 2014, he repeated with the Kings and also secured an Olympic gold medal. With 1,249 games under his belt, Carter will add a few more with the Pittsburgh Penguins next season. 

Dustin Brown

The Los Angeles Kings drafted Dustin Brown 13th overall in 2003. A forward known for hard hits, he would consistently rank in the top ten for hits during the first half of his career. Brown would captain the Kings for eight seasons while leading them to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He spent 18 seasons with Los Angeles, playing 1,296 games and amassing 712 points along the way. Brown was a community activist as well, gaining recognition from the NHL in 2011 with the NHL Foundation Player Award. He also had his number 23 retired by the Kings this past season on February 11.

Zach Parise

Despite multiple injuries, Zach Parise has been one of the more consistent players in the modern NHL. He has reached 30 or more goals in six seasons and hit the 60-point mark seven times. Parise won the silver medal with Team USA in the 2010 Olympics and captained the team in 2014.

Thought to be a mainstay in Minnesota, the Wild bought his contract out to make room in the salary cap. He has since joined the New York Islanders and has been a crucial piece to their depth. During his 18-year career, he has pieced together 1,224 games and an amazing 879 points. He still has one year left on his contract.

Ryan Getzlaf

Among the small number of players who remained with one team throughout their career, Ryan Getzlaf played for 17 seasons in the league. The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim drafted him 19th overall in 2003. He played an essential part in leading the team to their only Stanley Cup win in 2007. Getzlaf was the captain of the Ducks for 12 seasons and was also a finalist for the Hart Trophy in 2014. When he retired after the 2021-22 season, Getzlaf would lead the team in career assists (737), a little over 200 more than a trailing Teemu Selanne.

Brent Burns 

With his scoring prowess, Brent Burns has established himself as one of the best defensemen in the game. Burns has won the Norris Trophy once and been the league’s top-scoring defenseman twice. Burns is famous with fans for his perplexing beard and missing teeth. He didn’t hit his stride until he joined the Sharks in San Jose, despite his time with the Minnesota Wild. He has played 1,333 NHL games and spent the last two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes in his pursuit of the elusive Stanley Cup.

Ryan Kesler

Ryan Kesler was one of the best defensive forwards to play the game. He spent his career with the Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks, playing for the latter alongside Getzlaf and becoming the hardest-hitting team in the West. He played 1,001 games and won the Selke Trophy in 2011 before being forced into retirement. A hip resurfacing and the diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease would force him to sit out the last three seasons. His gritty play still produced 573 career points before retirement.

Mike Richards

Like Carter, Mike Richards saw some early success in his NHL career. He helped secure the Calder Cup Championship in 2005 for the Philadelphia Phantoms and would then captain the Flyers just four years later. Richards led the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals but would lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in a devastating Game 6 overtime loss.

Then, the tides would turn for Richards as they traded him to the Los Angeles Kings for Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn, and a draft pick. Richards, Carter, and Brown would all be part of the unstoppable force that led the Kings to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He played predominantly as a defensive forward in 749 games, yet still achieved 487 career points.

Corey Perry 

Corey Perry, also known as “The Worm,” infuriates his opponents by trash-talking, but he can prove himself. Perry was quick to act after the London Knights won the Memorial Cup in 2005. Perry and Getzlaf’s contribution helped Anaheim win the Stanley Cup in 2007, a goal Perry has been pursuing to repeat ever since.

Perry has been to three out of the last four Stanley Cup Finals — each time with a different team — but has yet to win a second Stanley Cup. Perry’s achievements include winning an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2010 and the Hart & Maurice Richard trophies in 2011. He completed the Triple Gold by adding a second Olympic and World Championship gold in 2014. Perry remains unsigned and will become a free agent on July 1. His 1,257 games of experience and career points make him a valuable addition to any team.

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Patrice Bergeron

Boston’s own Patrice Bergeron has become the best defensive forward in the game today. Bergeron’s selection in the second round did not hinder his success as he won five Selke Trophies. He regularly tops the league in face-off percentage with a career 57.9 percent. He is a member of the Triple Gold Club with two Olympic golds, one World Championship, and a Stanley Cup in 2011. In 19 seasons with the Bruins, he has racked up 1,040 points in 1,294 games. He is undecided on whether he will come back to captain the Bruins next season, but he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he decides to call it a career.

Shea Weber

The scout for the Nashville Predators found Shea Weber, one of the hidden gems in the 2003 NHL Draft, purely by accident. Weber won no major awards but became known to have one of the hardest shots from the blue line. He would lead both Nashville and Montreal as a captain, as well.

His shutdown defense and hard-hitting style of play made him a feared opponent. His career 1,038 games were hard on Weber as his hand, knee, and foot injuries forced him into early retirement after the 2020-21 season. His contract is currently held by the Arizona Coyotes until the 2025-26 season. 

Corey Crawford

Because of a backlog in goaltending, Corey Crawford struggled to gain momentum until 2010. He had to wait for other Chicago Blackhawks netminders to retire or get traded in order to get his chance. With Crawford on the team, the Blackhawks reached the playoffs seven years in a row and won the Stanley Cup in both 2013 and 2015. He won the Jennings Trophy in his second year in the league. Concussions would become an issue for the goaltender later in his career, but not before posting a 260-162-53 record. He ranks third in franchise wins, boasting a career save percentage of .918 as well.

Joe Pavelski

The two-way center has probably become the best story for any late draft pick in history. It’s hard to believe that Joe Pavelski, one of the best players from the 2003 draft class, was drafted in the seventh round. The six-time All-Star has accumulated 1,001 points in his 17-year career. He spent 13 years with the San Jose Sharks before being highly sought after in 2019 and moving on to the Dallas Stars.

Pavelski has become a dominant force in the playoffs, leading the Sharks and the Stars to the Finals one time each. For four years, Pavelski was named captain of the Sharks because of his natural leadership skills on and off the ice. Given that he avoids injuries this upcoming season, he could easily get to 1,300 career games. 

Dustin Byfuglien

A defenseman that made the jump back and forth to forward, Dustin Byfuglien was a man you did not want to mess with. A hard hitter and a big man just to get in front of the net, Byfuglien was a four-time All-Star that helped lead the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 2010. He would also lead all players with the most hits in those playoffs with 99. Byfuglien would finish his career with the Winnipeg Jets as an ankle injury cut his time short in the NHL. He would still collect 525 points in his 869 games in the league.

Conclusion

We have listed some of the most successful NHL picks here. Most players from the first-round list are now well-known names. Although it’s impossible to analyze all the talented players from the 2003 Draft, having 18 standout players is an impressive feat. A good portion of the list will no doubt go right to the Hockey Hall of Fame.