My Draft Day: "Red Deer" Randy Moller

Every year when the NHL holds its annual NHL Entry Draft, I often reminisce about my start and journey in what was in 1981, a 21-team National Hockey League.

Ah, take me back to that day in June 1981 to one of hockey's holiest cathedrals, the Montreal Forum, the host of that year's draft.
Cemented in my mind I remember looking up at the 23 Stanley Cup banners. I remember the freshly painted wooden seats. Seats that were filled nightly with thousands of rabid Canadiens fans over the last 30-plus years. They watched some of the game's greatest like Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard. I thought back to cold winter Saturday nights, my eyes glued to Hockey Night in Canada on our family's black and white TV screen and dreaming not only of visiting the iconic shrine, but skating in the world's greatest hockey league.
My agent Bill Watters at the time suggested that I attend the draft in person, confidently telling my parents their son "will" be selected in the first round. Only my second flight ever, I arrived in Montreal the day before Draft day for in-person meetings with General Managers and head scouts from a handful of teams including the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, and the Quebec Nordiques, who selected this skinny, pimply-faced 17-year-old, straight off the dirt roads of Red Deer, Alberta.
Squirming in the only suit I owned, (a hand me down from a cousin who was three inches shorter and 25 pounds lighter), I answered the team's questions while trying unsuccessfully to hide the hole in the bottom of my right shoe. Afterwards a few of my fellow draft prospects joined our agents at the fanciest Montreal steak restaurant.
Having never heard of this "Caesar Salad" that everyone was ordering from a tuxedoed waiter, I ordered mine with Thousand Island dressing.
Bright and early the next morning, I was basking in the hot Montreal sun as we walked the beautiful tree lined streets leading to the Forum. The smell of steak sauce still radiating from my stained same suit jacket, we headed to the Forum. Our unknown journey to the NHL begins today!
Maybe it was meeting one of my idols - Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame defenseman Larry Robinson, in a Forum bathroom, excitedly shaking my unwashed hand in his. Maybe it was me dipping my brown clip-on tweed tie in the tomato soup served at lunch to all first-round picks sitting with their respective (drafted) team executives. Whatever it was, my mind was soaking in every embarrassing experience that day had to offer, including several us draft picks extending our Crescent Street Draft Day celebration, missing our late afternoon flight back to Calgary. The "red-eye" flight later was also a first for this Prairie boy!
Over the last few days, I looked deeper into my 1981 Draft class and found some interesting and impressive facts:
- Three future NHL head coaches came from my draft year:
1. Scott Arniel, drafted in the second round by the Winnipeg Jets, briefly coached the Columbus Blue Jackets.
2. Gerard Gallant, drafted in the sixth round by the Detroit Red Wings, with head coaching stops in Columbus, Florida, and the Vegas Golden Knights.
3. Alain Vigneault, picked in round eight by the St Louis Blues, currently guides the Philadelphia Flyers.
- Also, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning was taken by the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the first round.
- Players from the '81 Draft elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame include Al MacInnis, Dale Hawerchuck, Ron Francis, Grant Fuhr and Chris Chelios.
- Former Panthers from that draft include John Vanbiesbrouck (fourth round, New York Rangers) and Joe Cirella (first round, Colorado Rockies).
- Former '81 first-round draft picks I ended up playing with in my career include: Hawerchuck, Cirella, Vanbiesbrouck, Fuhr, James Patrick, Tony Tanti, and Gilbert Derlorme.
Now, join me in congratulating all of the 2020 NHL Draft eligible prospects. All with different roads, lots of stories I'm sure will be soon begin October 6-7.
Stay safe and hope to see you at the rink soon!