1996 NHL entry draft

1996 NHL entry draft
General information
Date(s)June 22, 1996
LocationKiel Center
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Overview
241 total selections in 9 rounds
First selection Chris Phillips
(Ottawa Senators)

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, and (as of 2025) not one single player inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame.