The 1972 NHL amateur draft was the 10th draft for the National Hockey League. It was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal.

The last active player in the NHL from this draft class was Richard Brodeur, who played his last NHL game in the 1987–88 season.

Selections by round

Below are listed the selections in the 1972 NHL amateur draft. The expansion Islanders won the first pick by a coin toss between themselves and the Flames.

Round one

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%"

|-

! style="background:#ddf; width:2.75%;"| #

! style="background:#ddf; width:22.0%;"| Player

! style="background:#ddf; width:20.0%;"| Nationality

! style="background:#ddf; width:34.0%;"| NHL team

! style="background:#ddf; width:100.0%;"| College/junior/club team

|-

! 1

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| Billy Harris (RW) || || New York Islanders || Toronto Marlboros (OHL)

|-

! 2

| Jacques Richard (LW) || || Atlanta Flames || Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)

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! 3

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| Don Lever (C) || || Vancouver Canucks || Niagara Falls Flyers (OMJHL)

|-

! 4

| bgcolor="#CCFFCC"|Steve Shutt (LW) || || Montreal Canadiens (from Los Angeles)<sup>1</sup> || Toronto Marlboros (OMJHL)

|-

! 5

| bgcolor="#FBCEB1"| Jim Schoenfeld (D) || || Buffalo Sabres || Niagara Falls Flyers (OMJHL)

|-

! 6

| Michel Larocque (G) || || Montreal Canadiens (from California)<sup>2</sup> || Ottawa 67's (OMJHL)

|-

! 7

| bgcolor="#CCFFCC"| Bill Barber (LW) || || Philadelphia Flyers || Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)

|-

! 8

| Dave Gardner (C) || || Montreal Canadiens (from Minnesota via Pittsburgh)<sup>3</sup> || Toronto Marlboros (OMJHL)

|-

! 9

| Wayne Merrick (C) || || St. Louis Blues || Ottawa 67's (OMJHL)

|-

! 10

| Al Blanchard (LW) || || New York Rangers (from Detroit)<sup>4</sup> || Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)

|-

! 11

| George Ferguson (C) || || Toronto Maple Leafs || Toronto Marlboros (OMJHL)

|-

! 12

| Jerry Byers (LW) || || Minnesota North Stars || Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)

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! 13

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| Phil Russell (D) || || Chicago Black Hawks || Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)

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! 14

| John Van Boxmeer (D) || || Montreal Canadiens || Guelph CMC's (SOJHL)

|-

! 15

| Bob MacMillan (C) || || New York Rangers || St. Catharines Black Hawks (OMJHL)

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! 16

| Mike Bloom (LW) || || Boston Bruins || St. Catharines Black Hawks (OMJHL)

|-

|align=center colspan="6" bgcolor="#efefef"| <sup>Reference: </sup>

|}

  1. The Los Angeles Kings' first-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on June 11, 1968, that sent Gerry Desjardins to Los Angeles in exchange for Los Angeles' 1969 first-round pick (Dick Redmond) and this pick.
  2. : In June 1969, the Montreal Canadiens' traded the 1969 first-round pick to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for Minnesota's promised to Montreal that they would not draft Dick Duff in the 1969 intra-league draft.
  3. The California Golden Seals' first-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on June 10, 1968, that sent Bryan Watson and cash to California in exchange for future considerations (Tom Thurlby trade completed in September 1968) and this pick.
  4. The Minnesota North Stars' first-round pick went to the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a trade on June 10, 1968, that sent Minnesota's first-round pick in 1972, cash and future considerations (Marshall Johnston trade completed on May 25, 1971) to Montreal in exchange for Danny Grant, Claude Larose and future considerations (Bob Murdoch trade completed on May 25, 1971).
  5. : The Pittsburgh Penguins' first-round pick went to the Minnesota North Stars as the result of a trade on October 1, 1968, that sent Pittsburgh's first-round pick in 1972 to Minnesota in exchange for Bob Woytowich.
  6. :: The Montreal Canadiens received the lowest of Minnesota's two first-round pick.

Round two

{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%"

|-

! style="background:#ddf; width:2.75%;"| #

! style="background:#ddf; width:22.0%;"| Player

! style="background:#ddf; width:20.0%;"| Nationality

! style="background:#ddf; width:34.0%;"| NHL team

! style="background:#ddf; width:100.0%;"| College/junior/club team

|-

! 17

| Lorne Henning (C) || || New York Islanders || New Westminster Bruins (WCHL)

|-

! 18

| Dwight Bialowas (D) || || Atlanta Flames || Regina Pats (WCHL)

|-

! 19

| Bryan McSheffrey (RW) || || Vancouver Canucks || Ottawa 67's OMJHL)

|-

! 20

| Don Kozak (RW) || || Los Angeles Kings || Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)

|-

! 21

| Larry Sacharuk (D) || || New York Rangers (from Buffalo)<sup>1</sup> || Saskatoon Blades (WCHL)

|-

! 22

| Tom Cassidy (C) || || California Golden Seals || Kitchener Rangers (OMJHL)

|-

! 23

| bgcolor="#FFCC00"| Tom Bladon (D) || || Philadelphia Flyers || Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)

|-

! 24

| Jack Lynch (D) || || Pittsburgh Penguins || Oshawa Generals (OMJHL)

|-

! 25

| Larry Carriere (D) || || Buffalo Sabres (from St. Louis)<sup>2</sup> || Loyola College (CIAU)

|-

! 26

| Pierre Guite (LW) || || Detroit Red Wings || University of Pennsylvania (ECAC)

|-

! 27

| Randy Osburn (LW) || || Toronto Maple Leafs || London Knights (OMJHL)

|-

! 28

| Stan Weir (C) || || California Golden Seals (from Montreal via Minnesota)<sup>3</sup> || Medicine Hat Tigers (WCHL)

|-

! 29

| Brian Ogilvie (C) || || Chicago Black Hawks || Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL)

|-

! 30

| Bernie Lukowich (RW) || || Pittsburgh Penguins (from St. Louis)<sup>4</sup> || New Westminster Bruins (WCHL)

|-

! 31

| Rene Villemure (LW) || || New York Rangers || Shawinigan Dynamos (QMJHL)

|-

! 32

| Wayne Elder (D) || || Boston Bruins || London Knights (OMJHL)

|-

|align=center colspan="6" bgcolor="#efefef"| <sup>Reference: </sup>

|}

  1. The Buffalo Sabres' second-round pick went to the New York Rangers as the result of a trade on January 14, 1972, that sent Jim Lorentz to Buffalo in exchange for this pick.
  2. The St. Louis Blues' second-round pick went to the Buffalo Sabres as the result of a trade on March 5, 1972, that sent Chris Evans to St. Louis in exchange for George Morrison and this pick.
  3. The Montreal Canadiens' second-round pick went to the California Golden Seals as the result of a trade on June 8, 1972, that sent Montreal's second-round pick in 1972 to California in exchange for California's first-round and second-round picks in 1973 as settlement of waiver draft payment owed from California to Montreal for California selecting Carol Vadnais in the 1968 intra-league draft.
  4. : Montreal previously acquired this pick as the result of a trade on May 24, 1971, that sent Montreal's first-round pick in 1972, Gary Gambucci and Bob Paradise to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota's first-round pick in 1972, second-round pick in 1972 and cash.
  5. : The original trade between Montreal and California was on June 12, 1968, that sent California's first-round and second-round picks in 1973 to Montreal in exchange for the opportunity to select Carol Vadnais in the 1968 intra-league draft.
  6. The St. Louis Blues' second-round pick went to the Pittsburgh Penguins as the result of a trade on June 6, 1969, that sent Lou Angotti and Pittsburgh's first-round pick in 1971 to St. Louis (St. Louis selected Gene Carr) in exchange for Craig Cameron, Ron Schock and this pick.
  7. The Montreal Canadiens' fifth-round pick went to the Atlanta Flames as the result of a trade on June 7, 1972, that sent the Atlanta's fifth-round pick in 1972 (Bill Nyrop) and cash to Montreal in exchange for Ted Tucker and this pick.