# August 9 in Hockey History
August 9, 1979, stands as one of the most significant dates in NHL draft history, marked by the selection of five players who would collectively shape the league's competitive landscape throughout the 1980s. This single day witnessed the top five picks of what many analysts consider a deep and talented draft class, setting the stage for a transformative decade in professional hockey.
The Colorado Rockies made the opening selection of the 1979 draft, exercising the first overall pick to select Rob Ramage from the Birmingham Bulls. Ramage's selection at the top of the order carried substantial significance within NHL circles, reflecting the Rockies' confidence in his potential as a franchise cornerstone. The defenseman's early draft positioning underscored the league's evolving emphasis on building defensive depth through the amateur draft.
Following immediately on the draft board, the St. Louis Blues selected Perry Turnbull at second overall, also from the Birmingham Bulls organization. Turnbull's placement in the elite tier of available talent demonstrated the competitive depth available that year. Just minutes later, the Detroit Red Wings made their selection: Mike Foligno from Sudbury, occupying the third overall position. Foligno's draft position reflected organizational confidence in his ability to contribute at the professional level.
The Washington Capitals continued the impressive run of selections with Mike Gartner at fourth overall, selecting from the Cincinnati Stingers. Gartner's draft placement signified the Capitals' strategic focus during this period of organizational development. Completing the top-five selections, the Vancouver Canucks chose Rick Vaive fifth overall, also from the Birmingham Bulls.
The concentration of talent on August 9, 1979, illustrates how the draft functioned as a critical mechanism for NHL roster construction during this era. These five selections—made within a compressed timeframe—represented significant organizational investments in young talent. The presence of multiple Birmingham Bulls players among the top five picks demonstrates the league's scouting networks' concentration on particular junior hockey programs, a common practice in talent identification during the late 1970s.
The significance of these selections varied within the broader context of franchise-building. While all five players occupied premium draft positions, their eventual impacts on their respective organizations and the league differed substantially. The varying significance ratings of these picks—ranging from 80/100 for Ramage's selection down to 50/100 for Vaile and Gartner—reflected contemporary assessments of their projected contributions to their new teams.
This August 9 draft day encapsulates a pivotal moment in NHL history, occurring at a time when the league was consolidating its position as North America's premier professional hockey organization following the WHA merger completed the previous year.
