The 1990 NHL Entry Draft saw an era of complete Canadian dominance drawing to a close. The National Hockey League teams were beginning to look seriously at Eastern European players from Russia and the Czech Republic. It was probably a draft best known by players like Jaromir Jagr and Martin Brodeur. However, looking deeper into the draft, there were four players selected in the third or later rounds who played more than 1,000 regular-season games in the NHL.
Vyacheslav Kozlov – Detroit Red Wings
Slava Kozlov was taken by the Red Wings in the third round, 45th overall from Voskresensk Khimik in Russia. Kozlov went on to play 1,182 regular-season games in the NHL from 1991-92 to 2009-10 with the Red Wings, Buffalo Sabers and Atlanta Thrashers. During that time, he scored 356 goals and assisted in 497 for 853 points.
With Detroit, Kozlov was the Stanley Cup champion in 1996-97 and 1997-98. He was traded from Detroit to Buffalo in 2001 by the great Czech goalkeeper Dominik Hasek. Slava has been playing for the Russia-based KHL since 2010-11. In 2012-13, he played for Spartak Moscow.
Sergei Zubov – New York Rangers
Zubov was selected in the fifth round, 85th overall by the CSKA Moscow Rangers in Russia. Zubov played 1,068 NHL regular-season games between 1992-93 and 2008-09 with the Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Dallas Stars. The playmaker scored 152 goals and assisted in 619 for 771 points.
Sergei won a Stanley Cup with the Rangers in 1993-94 and another with the Stars in 1998-99. In 1995, Zubov was part of a remarkable trade that sent him and Petr Nedved to the New York Penguins in exchange for Luc Robitaille and Ulf Samuelsson. Nedved was sacked in the first round of that same 1990 NHL Entry Draft. The following summer, he went to Dallas from Pittsburgh for Kevin Hatcher. Zubov played one final season at the KHL with SKA St. Petersburg before retiring from the game.
Craig Conroy – Montreal Canadiens
The Habs took a leap of faith with Conroy, choosing directly from Northwood Prep High School in New York. Craig then played four years at Clarkson University before seeing his first NHL action. He played 1,009 NHL regular season games between 1994-95 and 2010-11 with the Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and the Los Angeles Kings. He scored 182 goals and assisted in 360 for 542 NHL points in his career.
Peter Bondra – Washington Capitals
Bondra fell far behind in the eighth round, 156 overall, for the HC Kosice capitals in the Czech Republic. That was simply a steal by the Capitals, as Peter went on to play 1,081 NHL regular season games, mostly with Washington. He also appeared with the Ottawa Senators, Atlanta Thrashers, and Chicago Blackhawks later in his career.
Peter scored 503 goals and assisted in 389 for 892 points. In 1997-98, the only year Washington reached the Stanley Cup final, Bondra has his only 50-goal season, finishing with 52. In 2004, he was traded to Ottawa for Brooks Laich. Laich remains a member of the Capitals, as of the end of the 2012-13 season.