2012 NHL Entry Draft: DUB-Style

The 2012 National Hockey League Entry Draft was held at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With the first overall pick, the Edmonton Oilers selected forward Nail Yakupov.

At DUBNetwork, we’ll supply one of these features from now until Christmas Day, culminating with the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

Here’s a look at the Western Hockey League players chosen in the first round, along with a few statistics.

2012 NHL Entry Draft – Round 1
				NHL
OVERALL	PLAYER	WHL	NHL	GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS
2	Ryan Murray*	Everett	Columbus	344	15	93
4	Griffin Reinhart	Edmonton	New York Islanders	37	0	2
5	Morgan Rielly*	Moose Jaw	Toronto	505	54	212
7	Matt Dumba*	Red Deer	Minnesota	377	59	101
8	Derrick Pouliot	Portland	Pittsburgh	202	8	40
27	Henrik Samuelsson	Edmonton	Phoenix	3	0	0
NOTABLE
50	Colton Sissons*	Kelowna	Nashville	298	44	46
58	Jordan Martinook*	Vancouver	Phoenix	348	43	53
60	Damon Severson*	Kelowna	New Jersey	394	32	107

Active*

The 2011-12 WHL season highlighted a group of solid young defencemen, five of whom were selected in the top ten on draft day.

Ryan Murray battled injuries late in his junior career, appearing in only 69 games over his final two seasons with Everett. However, he has continued to find ways to develop and has stuck with the Blue Jackets, now playing in his seventh full NHL season.

Morgan Rielly of the Moose Jaw Warriors spent the majority of his draft year at home in British Columbia, courtesy of a regular season-ending knee injury. He appeared in a total of 18 WHL games, but the Maple Leafs still made him the fifth overall pick. Rielly has flourished as a leader in Toronto.

Matt Dumba has become a key defender for the Wild, another former WHL player who has continued to develop despite a few injuries during his professional career.

Derrick Pouliot bounced around since draft day from Pittsburgh to Vancouver and a brief stop in St. Louis this season.

Griffin Reinhart and Henrik Samuelsson, teammates with the Oil Kings on their Memorial Cup winning team, were unable to parlay WHL success into impactful NHL careers.

Of note is a group of forwards selected in the second round, three players who have carved out successful professional careers.

Forward Colton Sissons’ hockey road map included a stint in the AHL after junior. Once he landed in Nashville, he stuck and has become a key member of the leadership group. The team captain in Kelowna, Sissons is signed through the 2025-26 seasson.

Forward Jordan Martinook played two full seasons with the Vancouver Giants and never missed a game. He did not have an immediate impact in the NHL, playing three seasons in the AHL before cracking the Arizona Coyotes lineup. He is now with the Carolina Hurricanes, signed through the 2020-21 season.

Arguably the most successful WHL defenceman selected in the 2012 draft is Damon Severson, one of a long line of rearguards to graduate the Rockets program in Kelowna. The Melville, Saskatchewan, native jumped right into the New Jersey Devils lineup and has been a fixture on their blue line. The Devils have signed Severson through the 2022-23 campaign.

2012 NHL Entry Draft: Rounds 2-7
					NHL
Round	Overall	Player	WHL	NHL	Games	Goals	Assists
2	32	Mitchell Moroz	Edmonton	Edmonton
	39	Lukas Sutter	Saskatoon	Winnipeg
	50	Colton Sissons*	Kelowna	Nashville	300	44	46
	51	Dalton Thrower	Saskatoon	Montreal
	54	Mike Winther	Prince Albert	Dallas
	58	Jordan Martinook*	Vancouver	Phoenix	350	43	55
	60	Damon Severson*	Kelowna	New Jersey	396	32	108
3	64	Tim Bozon	Kamloops	Montreal
	72	Troy Bourke	Prince George	Colorado
	76	Chris Driedger*	Calgary	Ottawa	6	2-2-0	1.98
	77	Chandler Stephenson*	Regina	Washington	178	17	21
	84	Steven Hodges	Victoria	Florida
	89	Brendan Leipsic*	Portland	Nashville	163	16	41
4	105	Brett Kulak*	Vancouver	Calgary	183	8	22
	116	Nicholas Walters	Everett	St. Louis
	117	Taylor Leier	Portland	Philadelphia	55	2	5
5	133	Logan Nelson	Victoria	Buffalo
	134	Branden Troock	Seattle	Dallas
	135	Graham Black	Swift Current	New Jersey
	149	Travis Brown	Moose Jaw	Chicago
6	160	Ryan Olsen	Kelowna	Winnipeg
	165	Coda Gordon	Swift Current	Calgary
7	187	Kenton Helgesen	Calgary	Anaheim
	192	Colin Smith	Kamloops	Colorado	1	0	0
	197	Jaynen Rissling	Calgary	Washington
	206	Tyrel Seaman	Brandon	St. Louis