NHL Draft: Best players drafted in 5th round and beyond

NHL scouting staffs gain their reputations by uncovering talent in the later rounds of a draft. The Detroit Red Wings have, for years, been commended for their drafting standard, as they continually pluck supreme late-round prospects and turn them into NHL supernovas.

It's an anomaly that leaves hockey players, personnel, fans, and media shocked, simply because of the rarity. Although every few years, it happens again.

Here are some of the best players to be drafted in the fifth round and beyond to the NHL:

Doug Gilmour, Round 7

The short-scaled, short-tempered Stanley Cup-winning Hall of Famer went 134th overall in 1982. A selection by the St. Louis Blues, the center went on to play 1,474 career games, compiling 450 goals and 964 assists for 1,414 total points.

Brett Hull, Round 6

Goalies and shot-blocking defensemen were rightfully wary when Hull teed up. Most of the time, though, the puck would fly right past both. Drafted 117th overall in 1984, The Golden Brett won two Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, a Lester B. Pearson Trophy, and Hall of Fame induction.

Dominik Hasek, Round 10

Hasek is probably remembered more for his floppy - yet highly effective - style and quirky personality than for being the 199th player chosen in 1983. The Czech won the Hart Trophy and Lester B. Pearson award (now known as the Ted Lindsay Award) twice, was a six-time Vezina Trophy winner, and hoisted the Stanley Cup on two occasions. Not too shabby for a 10th-rounder.

Luc Robitaille, Round 9

Everyone passed on Robitaille until the Los Angeles Kings took him 171st overall in 1984. The French Canadian is arguably the best left winger ever, recording 668 goals and 1,394 points. Fellow Canadian and NHL legend Mario Lemieux is the only player in the draft class with more career points.

Theo Fleury, Round 8

Theo Fleury turned the sweeping generalization that small players don't belong in the NHL on its head. The 166th prospect called in 1987 proved that size-deficient skaters can compete, win, score, fight, and become legends - on and off the ice.

Daniel Alfredsson, Round 6

Alfredsson was the best player chosen in the 1994 draft (133rd overall). Despite being picked in the sixth round, Alfie was honored with the Calder Trophy, and later with the King Clancy Trophy. Although he doesn't have a Stanley Cup ring, a Olympic gold medal is perched on his trophy shelf.

Pavel Datsyuk, Round 6

Datsyuk is an NHL magician. The stick is his wand, the puck his prop, and the players his awe-struck audience. The 171st overall pick in 1998 has two Stanley Cups, a Lady Byng Trophy, and a Selke Trophy. The Russian center constantly leaves people mesmerized and is the reason for one of the NHL's dramatic "History Will Be Made" commercials, which asked: "What if the draft ended after the fifth round?"

Henrik Zetterberg, Round 7

Another Red Wings pick that turned into gold, Zetterberg was the 210th overall pick in 1999. The Swede is a Conn Smythe Trophy winner and has his name on the Stanley Cup, leaving people to wonder how in the world he was drafted so late.

Henrik Lundqvist, Round 7

Lundqvist continues to seek a Stanley Cup while carving a legacy. He was drafted 205th in 2000, but you wouldn't know it by his play. An Olympic gold medalist, Vezina Trophy winner, NHL All-Star, and - one would think, before he calls it a career - a Stanley Cup champion.

Jamie Benn, Round 5

NHL clubs still kick themselves for missing out on Benn. He currently stands third among his draft class in career points, behind only first overall pick Patrick Kane and seventh overall pick Jakub Voracek. The Dallas Stars' captain went 129th in 2007 and continues to rip up the league. This season, he's an Art Ross Trophy winner, and was a Ted Lindsay Award finalist.

Honorable Mention