The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Long Island. They are members of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The franchise has been a part of the NHL since their inception in 1972, which is also the first year they participated in the annual NHL Entry Draft, where participating teams select newly eligible players in a predetermined order. They have chosen 459 players over 52 drafts, including the nine Supplemental Drafts, which took place in the NHL from 1986 to 1994 for players in American colleges.