Who Should Montreal Have Drafted Number 1 Overall in 1980 NHL Amateur Draft? By Robert Styles on Apr 3, 2021, 7:33am EDT 1 I really enjoyed watching Doug Wickenheiser in the late 1970s when he and the Regina Pats travelled to Flin Flon, Manitoba to play the Flin Flon Bombers so I was very excited when the Montreal Canadiens chose him first overall in the 1980 NHL Amateur Draft. At 6'1 he was the big two-way centre they lacked. Their lack of a big centre and injuries really hurt them in losing to the Minnesota North Stars in 7 games in the 1980 playoffs bringing an end to their dynasty of 4 consecutive Stanley Cups. This was clearly a team in transition. Winnipeg chose David Babych Number 2 overall and Chicago chose Denis Savard of the Montreal Junior Canadiens number 3 overall in that 1980 NHL Amateur Draft. Denis Savard was a local French star player who became a superstar in Chicago and people compared Wickenheiser to Savard. In his first year Wickenheiser had 7 goals and 8 assists in 41 games and in his second year was moved to Left Wing and had 12 goals and 23 assists in 56 games. In his third year he showed promise back at centre on a line with Guy Lafleur and Ryan Walter with 25 goals and 30 assists in 78 games but during these 3 years Denis Savard had 75, 119, and 121 points with Chicago. In year 4 Wickenheiser had 5 goals and 5 assists in 27 games and was traded to St. Louis. Savard continued to be a superstar in Chicago.