1996 NHL entry draft
| 1996 NHL entry draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date | June 22, 1996 |
| Location | Kiel Center St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Overview | |
| 241 total selections in 9 rounds | |
| First selection | Chris Phillips (Ottawa Senators) |
| Hall of Famers | 1 |
The 1996 NHL entry draft was the 34th NHL entry draft. It was held at the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 22, 1996.
The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Zdeno Chara, who retired after the 2021–22 season.
It is considered one of the weakest NHL entry drafts ever, with just one (Chara, seven times) of the 241 players drafted ever being chosen for a year-end NHL All-Star team. Similarly, (as of 2025) Chara is the only player from this draft to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.