Drafting in the top three of the NHL Entry Draft is supposed to be a franchise-altering event. It is the reward for a painful season, a beacon of hope for a fan base, and a test of a scouting department’s ability to project teenage talent into professional stardom. For the Vancouver Canucks, the third overall slot has been a recurring destination that has delivered everything from legendary Hall-of-Famers to foundational leaders.
Related: Canucks History of Selecting 2nd Overall in the NHL Draft
In our previous look at the Canucks history of second-overall picks, we saw how that specific slot often brought high-scoring but occasionally volatile talent to the West Coast. Today, we shift one spot down the board. While the Canucks have frequently drafted in the top ten, the number three chair has been occupied by four specific players who helped shape the identity of the organization across different decades.
Jocelyn Guevremont, 1971 Draft
In just the second draft in franchise history, the Canucks looked to bolster their blue line with Jocelyn Guevremont. Coming out of the Montreal Junior Canadiens program, Guevremont was the quintessential puck-moving defenceman of his era. He was smooth on his skates and possessed an offensive instinct that was rare for defenders at the time.
Guevremont’s impact was felt immediately. He stepped into a young expansion lineup and provided a level of polish that the team desperately needed. While he eventually moved on to find success with the Buffalo Sabres, his time in Vancouver proved that the scouting staff could identify high-end talent early on. He wasn’t a physical bruiser, but his ability to transition the puck out of the defensive zone made him a foundational piece during the franchise’s infancy, setting a high standard for future Canucks defenders.
Don Lever, 1972 Draft
The Canucks returned to the podium at number three just one year later, selecting forward Don Lever. If Guevremont was the flash, Lever was the engine. He quickly became the heart and soul of the team during the 1970s, known for a relentless work ethic and a dependable scoring touch.
Lever was the type of player coaches dream of — someone who could play in any situation and lead by example. He eventually served as the team’s captain, embodying the blue-collar identity of those early Vancouver squads. For nearly a decade, he was a fixture in the lineup, rarely missing games and consistently providing offensive production. Lever remains one of the most respected figures in the team’s early history, a testament to the value of drafting for character and reliability as much as raw skill.
Dennis Ververgaert, 1973 Draft
The “hat trick” of consecutive third overall picks was completed in 1973 with the selection of Dennis Ververgaert. The Canucks were essentially building their core through this specific draft slot, and Ververgaert provided the pure goal-scoring ability they lacked. He was a natural sniper with a heavy shot who found immediate success on the wing.
Ververgaert’s early years in Vancouver were prolific. He became one of the first players in franchise history to consistently threaten the top of the league’s scoring leaderboards, providing a much-needed threat on the power play. While his production eventually leveled off, his peak years in a Canucks sweater were a bright spot during an era where the team was still fighting for relevance in a crowded NHL landscape. He remains a significant figure from the era of the “Flying V” and the expansion-era growth of hockey in British Columbia.
Henrik Sedin, 1999 Draft
The 1999 Draft is the stuff of legend in hockey circles. Through a masterclass of maneuvering and trades by the front office, the Canucks secured both the second and third overall picks to select twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin. While Daniel went second, Henrik was the pick at number three, and the course of the franchise was changed forever.
It is impossible to overstate Henrik’s impact. After a few years of adapting to the North American game and the physical demands of the NHL, he blossomed into one of the greatest playmakers in the history of the sport. His vision was almost supernatural, often finding teammates with passes that seemed impossible to the average viewer.
Related: The Sedin Twins and the 1999 NHL Entry Draft
Henrik didn’t just play for the Canucks; he defined them for nearly two decades. He became the franchise leader in points and games played, won an Art Ross and Hart Trophy and served as captain for eight seasons. Along with his brother, he transformed the Canucks into a perennial contender and eventually saw his jersey raised to the rafters in 2020 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2022. He represents the absolute ceiling of what a team hopes to find when they hold the third overall selection.
The Legacy of the Third Slot
Looking back at these four names, the Canucks have found remarkable consistency at number three. From the foundational reliability of Don Lever in the expansion years to the generational brilliance of Henrik Sedin during the team’s most successful run, this draft position has been the source of the team’s most iconic eras.
While the draft is often called a crapshoot, the Canucks’ history with the third pick suggests that with the right scouting and a bit of luck, it can be the most stable building block a franchise can have. It serves as a reminder that while the first overall pick gets the most headlines, the third pick is often where the real soul of a team is forged.
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