Previewing the stacked 1981 NHL Entry Draft that featured plenty of WHL content.

In this edition of The Hockey News, journey back to 1981 and take a look at the stacked group of WHL players waiting to hear their name called at the NHL Entry Draft. Some of the high-end prospects available that year included Regina Pats' Garth Butcher, Portland Winter Hawks' Jim Benning, as well as Hockey Hall of Famers, Victoria Cougars' Grant Fuhr and Calgary Wranglers' Mike Vernon. 

This edition also details what, at the time, was the New York Islanders' second straight Stanley Cup Championship. Pat Calabria's column on the subject includes conversations with players about the historic run as well as quotes from then President and General Manager Bill Torrey about the success of his team. A dynasty like no other, this column is a must-read for any Islander fan. 

Lastly, there is a multi-page spread discussing the evolution of offseason training for players. From the physical side of the game to watching film, the Dryland Training portion of the magazine breaks down some of the advancements in off-season training that were available to players back in the early 80s. The piece, which was written by Mike Dennis, is an interesting look back, especially when comparing what player's off-season workout plans look like now in 2023. 

The Hockey News Archive is a vault of 2,640 issues and more than 156,000 articles exclusively for subscribers, chronicling the complete history of The Hockey News from 1947 until today. Visit the archives at THN.com/archive and subscribe today at subscribe.thehockeynews.com