This Draft is notable for being the first in which the majority of the players selected (19 of 24 picks) came from top-tier Junior teams which would, in the succeeding years, reorganize into Major Junior Hockey in Canada. Perhaps anticipating these changes, and looking to make the Draft more competitive in advance of the 1967 NHL Expansion, league President Clarence Campbell announced a plan eight months later to restructure rookie contracts and phase out direct sponsorship of junior hockey teams by NHL clubs
Selections by round
Listed below are the selections in the 1966 NHL amateur draft.