OTD: Hawks Draft Hometown Boy

Eddie Olczyk was raised in Chicago and grew up dreaming of playing for the Blackhawks. Forget following the team; he practically stalked it. When famed coach Billy Reay lost his job by getting a pink slip under his door, Olczyk cried.

Blackhawks general manager Bob Pulford liked Olczyk the prospect enough that he worked out a trade with Los Angeles to secure the third choice in the 1984 entry draft, with the intent of selecting the hometown kid.
He sent goaltender Bob Janecyk to Los Angeles for a swap of first-round picks (Hawks had the 6th pick), Chicago's third-round pick, and a swap of seventh-rounders.

Even after getting the No. 3 pick, Pulford couldn't be certain that Olczyk would make it past New Jersey's pick at No. 2. So, in order to guarantee that the Devils wouldn't get him, Chicago traded future considerations to New Jersey for the promise not to draft Olczyk. Wild stuff.

The Penguins had the first pick and selected Mario Lemieux, the consensus top choice. But on June 9, 1984, the Blackhawks selected Olczyk, making him the first U.S. born player selected in the first round of an NHL draft by his hometown team.

He was the youngest player in the league during his rookie season at just 18-years-old and was inserted into a Chicago lineup that ranked among the finest in the Campbell Conference. He thrived on a line with Troy Murray and Curt Fraser and quickly became a hero in his hometown.

Not many people get the opportunity to play for their hometown team and Eddie O has become synonymous with the city of Chicago and all that is good with the game of hockey.