Sixty-one current or future college hockey players were selected in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the same number that were drafted in 2010. It marked the sixth straight year - each season since the draft was shortened to seven rounds - that more than 60 college players were drafted.

Twenty-seven of the 30 NHL teams took at least one college player in the draft. Twenty-four colleges were represented among the selections, with three players yet to decide on a school.

Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who recently finished his freshman season at Northeastern, was the first of the college players taken at No. 14 to Dallas. He was one of 11 players who spent 2010-11 in the college ranks to be taken.

The first round featured two future Miami RedHawks. Round two had two current Boston University teammates, while the third round followed with two Notre Dame representatives. Wisconsin had two players taken in the fourth round, Cornell had two taken in the fifth, Ohio State and Minnesota each had two taken in the sixth and two recruits each from Harvard and Wisconsin went in the seventh round.