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| 1983 Entry Draft |  | The first draft of the Illitch era, GM Jimmy Devallano hit a home run, drafting six NHL'ers including a skinny little center from Peterborough (OHL) who would become the face of the franchise. Wings stars Yzerman, Probert, Klima, and Kocur were all products of this draft.
Pictured: L-R GM Jim Devallano - Steve Yzerman - Head Coach Nick Polano
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| 1st Rnd, 4th Overall NHL Totals 1514-692-1063-1755-924 | | Center Steve Yzerman |  | This skinny, frail, undersized center from the OHL Petes was rated the 3rd best player available by CSB after a 42 goal - 91 point season. When Steve showed up in camp, he was mistaken for the stickboy, and caused people to question Jimmy Devellano. His on ice performance, however, laid to rest any doubts, as he not only made the club out of camp, scored 87 points, became the youngest player to appear in an NHL all-star game, but finished runner-up to Tom Barrasso for rookie of the year. Yzerman enjoyed some fine offensive seasons in the 80's with 6 straight 100+ point seasons, twice topping the 60 goal mark, and winning the Pearson trophy after a 150 point campaign in 1989. The second stage of his career came when he focused more on being a two-way player instead of all offense, and he was rewarded with 3 stanley cup championships. Yzerman is at the top or near the top of every Wings offensive record, and is known simply as "The Captain" which he was for an NHL record 20 seasons. |
| 2nd Rnd, 25th overall NHL Totals 283-58-67-125-521 | | Right Wing Lane Lambert |  | The 14th rated prospect by CSB, Lambert was a junior league scoring star for Saskatoon (WHL), posting 233 points in 136 games. An intense, rugged, winger, Lane made the wings out of training camp and scored 20 goals as a rookie on a line with Kelly Kisio and Ivan Boldirev. Injuries derailed his second season, and after a half season in the minors, he was dealt to New York in the Glen Hanlon trade. Lambert played parts of 3 more seasons in the NHL, then jumped to Europe for 7 seasons, before finishing up in the IHL in 2001. |
| 3rd Rnd, 46th overall NHL Totals 935-163-221-384-3300 | | Left Wing Bob Probert |  | At 6'3 215 pounds, Probert combined soft hands and a scoring touch with heavyweight fighting ability. After two 73 point seasons in the OHL, Bob turned pro in 1985 with Adirondack (AHL). His stay on the farm was short however as he was recalled by Detroit on November 5th, and spent the rest of the season going back and forth between the two leagues. The 1987-88 season was the highpoint of Probert's career as he scored 29 goals and 62 points, racked up a team record 398 penalty minutes, and played with Gretzky in the NHL all Star game. Numerous suspensions, and a season spent in prison signaled that Bob's substance abuse problems were out of control, and after several tries at rehab, he was allowed to leave for Chicago where he spent 7 mediocre seasons. Probert was probably the most feared fighter in the league for most of his career starting with his KO of NHL heavy weight Dave Semenko. |
| 4th Rnd, 68th overall NHL Totals 0-0-0-0-0 | | Defenseman David Korol |  | A shot-blocking mobile defensive defenseman, Korol was drafted after putting up monster numbers for Winnipeg (WHL). Dave turned pro in 1985 and spent four seasons anchoring the blueline for Adirondack (AHL) where he was an integral part of 2 Calder cup championships. Korol played three more seasons in the IHL before retiring in 1992. |
| 5th Rnd, 86th overall NHL Totals 786-313-260-573-671 | | Left Wing Petr Klima |  | A gifted European sniper with a knack for clutch goals, Klima defected to the US in 1985 in a story that would make Ian Fleming proud. A deft stickhandler with speed to burn, Klima could almost score at will, scoring 154 goals in his first 4 seasons. Unfortunately for Petr, off-ice problems and a streetcar named desire that didn't come often enough led to a series of suspensions, and his eventual trade to Edmonton in 1989. After leaving Detroit, Petr won a Stanley cup with Edmonton and played another 11 seasons in the NHL with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, finishing his career with an 11 game stint with the Wings. |
| 5th Rnd, 88th overall NHL Totals 820-80-82-162-2519 | | Right Wing Joey Kocur |  | This hard working Western league winger was known as a tough customer who could put the puck in the net, as evidenced by his 40 goals and 258 penalty minutes in his last junior season. Kocur turned pro in 1984, and was called up to the Wings before the end of his first season. In his second season he set a team record with 377 penalty minutes. Never much of a scorer at the NHL level, Joey was a willing enforcer, who made a great tag team partner with fellow 83 draft choice Bob Probert. Kocur was dealt to the New York Rangers in 1991, and won his first Stanley cup with that organization in 1994. After starting the 96-97 season out of the NHL, Kocur was given another chance in Detroit where he re-invented himself as a gritty checking winger who was instrumental in leading the team to cups in 1997, and 1998 before a chronic abdominal injury ended his career. |
| 6th Rnd, 106th overall; NHL Totals: 1-0-1-0 4.50 GAA | | Goaltender Chris Pusey |  | A 6' 180 pound backup goaltender with rather pedestrian numbers, Pusey was drafted off the same Brantford team as Bob Probert. Pusey turned pro in 1985 and spent most of the season as the back up in Adirondack, save for 1 game in Detroit where he gave up 3 goals in 2 periods. After 11 games in Adirondack the next season, Pusey was loaned out of the organization never to return. Chris spent most of the next 10 seasons playing senior hockey in Ontario. |
| 7th Rnd, 126th overall; NHL Totals: 0-0-0-0-0 | | Left Wing Bob Pierson |  | This 6'3 215 pound left wing had the size to make the wings take a chance on him in the 7th round. After putting up decent numbers his draft year, he had an under-whelming training camp in 1983, followed by a step backwards his next year of juniors. He was not invited to camp in 1984 and chose to retire. |
| 8th Rnd, 146th overall; NHL Totals: 0-0-0-0-0 | | Defenseman Craig Butz |  | A stay at home defenseman with a penchant for dropping the gloves, Butz attended training camp in 1983. After finishing his last year in juniors, Craig retired and went to college, earning a PHD in Education. Although he never played pro hockey, he was active in the roller hockey league in the 90's both as a player and coach. |
| 9th Rnd, 166th overall; NHL Totals: 0-0-0-0-0 | | Defenseman Dave Sikorski |  | A native of Pontiac Michigan, Dave put up astronomical numbers playing for Detroit compuware, 170 pts in 77 games, as a defenseman, but found the next step a bit harder. Never able to match his success in the OHL, Sikorski retired at the end of his junior career. |
| 10th Rnd, 186th overall; NHL Totals: 729-17-22-39-2113 | | Left Wing Stu Grimson |  | At 6'5 and 210 pounds, Grimson was a tough customer in Junior hockey as evidenced by his stats of no goals and 105 penalty minutes in just 48 games during his draft year. Detroit never invited Grimson to camp, and in 1985 he re-entered the draft where he was taken in the 7th round by Calgary. Stu played parts of 14 season in the NHL as one of the leagues true heavyweights, including a 68 game stint with the Wings during the mid 90's. |
| 11th Rnd, 206th overall; NHL Totals: 0-0-0-0-0 | | Left Wing Jeff Frank |  | A 6'2 winger who put up good numbers before joining Regina (WHL), Frank was drafted on potential, which he did not fill. With injuries and a lack of offense, Jeff never showed enough to earn a look at the professional level, and retired in 1985. |
| 12th Rnd, 226th overall; NHL Totals: 0-0-0-0-0 | | Center Chuck Chiatto |  | A high scoring center in high school, the slight in stature Chiatto was drafted out of Cranbrook-Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. After being drafted, Chuck attended Western Michigan University, until leaving school after his junior year. Chiatto did not attend camp, and never turned pro. |
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