1979 NHL expansion draft

The 1979 NHL expansion draft was held on June 13, 1979. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the National Hockey League's new teams for the 1979–80 season: the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets. These four teams had joined the NHL after a merger agreement was reached with the World Hockey Association (WHA).

1979 NHL expansion draft
General information
Date(s)June 13, 1979
Overview
LeagueNational Hockey League
Expansion teamsEdmonton Oilers
Hartford Whalers
Quebec Nordiques
Winnipeg Jets
Expansion season1979–80
← 1978
1991 →

As many WHA players also had their rights held by NHL teams, those NHL teams were allowed to reclaim their players. In order to keep the NHL teams from plundering all the talent from the WHA-turned-NHL teams, each incoming franchise was allowed to protect up to two goaltenders and two skaters. These were designated as "priority selections" in the Expansion Draft.

WHA Dispersal Draft

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Following the 1978–79 WHA season, and prior to the NHL reclaiming players, the WHA dispersed players whose rights were held by teams not accepted into the NHL: the Birmingham Bulls and Cincinnati Stingers, and the Indianapolis Racers, who had folded during the previous season. Players that were twenty years old or younger were available to all 21 NHL teams in the entry draft, and the remaining players were made available to the four merging teams from the WHA.[1][2] Before their final season the WHA opted not to have an amateur draft and instead encouraged their teams to sign underage players.[3] Seven Birmingham Bulls were drafted in the 1979 NHL entry draft: Rob Ramage (1st), Rick Vaive (5th), Craig Hartsburg (6th), Michel Goulet (20th), Gaston Gingras (27th), Pat Riggin (33rd), and Keith Crowder (57th). Crowder began the season as a Bull but returned to the Peterborough Petes after just five games. The Cincinnati Stingers used two who were drafted: Mike Gartner (4th) and Mark Messier (48th). Messier was underage but was eligible for the 1979 draft due to his WHA service time.[4] The Winnipeg Jets used John Gibson (71st), but only on a ten game tryout contract in March 1979 but was returned to the Niagara Falls Flyers before the end of the season.[5]

Player Drafted From Drafted To
Bryon Baltimore (D) Cincinnati Stingers Edmonton Oilers
Kelly Davis (D)
Dave Forbes (LW)
Mike Liut (G)
Michel Parizeau (C)
Reg Thomas (LW)
Bryan Watson (D)
Dave Fortier (D) Indianapolis Racers
Bruce Greig (LW)
Ernie Wakely (G)[6] Birmingham Bulls
Steve Alley (LW) Birmingham Bulls Hartford Whalers
Tony Cassolato (RW)
Paul Henderson (LW)
Bob Stephenson (C)
Byron Shutt (LW) Cincinnati Stingers
Al McLeod (D) Indianapolis Racers
Peter Marrin (C) Birmingham Bulls Quebec Nordiques
John Stewart (C)
Greg Tebbutt (D)
Michel Dion (G) Cincinnati Stingers
Dave Dornseif (D)
Robbie Ftorek (C)
Bill Gilligan (C)
Barry Melrose (D)
Paul Stewart (LW)
Jamie Hislop (RW) Winnipeg Jets
Barry Legge (D)
Peter Marsh (LW)
Craig Norwich (D)

Expansion draft rules

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Reclaiming of players: The 17 existing NHL teams were allowed to reclaim any rights to former WHA players they held. The four incoming franchises, however, were allowed to protect up to two goaltenders and two skaters, voiding their NHL rights. These players were considered "priority selections" in the expansion draft. Numerous deals were cut by the incoming teams to retain some of their players. For instance, Quebec retained star forward Real Cloutier by trading a first-round draft choice to the Chicago Black Hawks, which held Cloutier's rights; that pick was used to select perennial superstar Denis Savard.

Wayne Gretzky was a special case - although no team held his NHL rights, under existing rules he would have been removed from the Oilers and placed into the NHL entry draft. However, Gretzky had been signed by Oilers owner Peter Pocklington to a personal services contract instead of a standard player contract. Confronted with the probability of being drafted first overall by the last place Colorado Rockies, Gretzky refused to void his contract with Pocklington. After deliberation, the Oilers were allowed to keep Gretzky as one of their priority selections, and agreed to choose last in each round of the 1979 NHL entry draft as further compensation.

Gordie Howe was a second special case - as a gentlemen's agreement between the Hartford Whalers and the Detroit Red Wings, which held his NHL rights, the Red Wings declined to reclaim the 51-year-old Howe.

Dave Keon was a third special case - Toronto Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard wanted to reclaim Keon as Ballard held the rights to Keon's contract after Keon left for the Hartford Whalers. NHL President John Ziegler was able to convince Ballard to let Keon stay with the Whalers, teaming up with the aforementioned Gordie Howe.

Expansion draft: Each of the 17 existing NHL teams were allowed to protect 15 skaters and two veteran goalies.

Compensation: The 17 existing NHL teams received $125,000 for each player drafted, these payments being funded by the $6 million in franchise fees each of the former WHA teams paid to join the NHL.

Reclaimed players

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These are players whose NHL rights were reclaimed when the WHA merged with the NHL.[7]

No. Player Reclaimed from Reclaimed by
1. Kent Nilsson (LW) Winnipeg Jets Atlanta Flames
2. Bobby Hull (LW) Chicago Black Hawks
3. Terry Ruskowski (RW)
4. Doug Berry (C) Edmonton Oilers Colorado Rockies
5. Wes George (LW) Detroit Red Wings
6. Glenn Hicks (LW) Winnipeg Jets
7. Barry Long (D)
8. George Lyle (LW) Hartford Whalers
9. Steve Carlson (RW) Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings
10. Cal Sandbeck (D) Minnesota North Stars
11. Dave Semenko (LW)
12. Paul Shmyr (D)
13. Greg Tebbutt (D) Quebec Nordiques
14. Alain Cote (LW) Montreal Canadiens
15. Dan Geoffrion (RW)
16. Alan Hangsleben (D) Hartford Whalers
17. Peter Marsh (RW) Winnipeg Jets
18. Kelly Davis (D) Edmonton Oilers New York Islanders
19. Dave Langevin (D)
20. Warren Miller (RW) Hartford Whalers New York Rangers
21. Jim Mayer (C) Edmonton Oilers
22. Dennis Sobchuk (LW) Philadelphia Flyers
23. Kim Clackson (D) Winnipeg Jets Pittsburgh Penguins
24. Mike Liut (G) Edmonton Oilers St. Louis Blues
25. Christian Bordeleau (C) Quebec Nordiques
26. Risto Siltanen (D) Edmonton Oilers
27. Rick Ley (D) Hartford Whalers Toronto Maple Leafs
28. Stan Weir (D) Edmonton Oilers
29. John Hughes (D) Vancouver Canucks
30. Paul MacKinnon (D) Winnipeg Jets Washington Capitals
  • Twelve additional players were reclaimed, but were chosen as 'Priority Selections' by the four merging franchises

Expansion draft results

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Priority selections

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These players were "priority selections" in the 1979 NHL expansion draft.

No. Player Rights Denied Rights Kept
1. Dave Dryden (G) Buffalo Sabres Edmonton Oilers
2. Wayne Gretzky (C) 1979 NHL entry draft
3. Eddie Mio (G) Minnesota North Stars
4. Bengt-Ake Gustafsson1 (RW) Edmonton Oilers Washington Capitals
5. Jordy Douglas (F) Toronto Maple Leafs Hartford Whalers
6. John Garrett (G) St. Louis Blues
7. Mark Howe (D) Boston Bruins
8. Paul Baxter (D) Pittsburgh Penguins Quebec Nordiques
9. Richard Brodeur (G) New York Islanders
10. Garry Lariviere (D) Buffalo Sabres
11. Scott Campbell (D) St. Louis Blues Winnipeg Jets
12. Morris Lukowich (LW) Pittsburgh Penguins
13. Markus Mattsson (G) New York Islanders

1 The NHL denied the Oilers' claim of Bengt-Ake Gustafsson. League president John Ziegler ruled that the Oilers violated WHA rules when they attempted to add Gustafsson to their team during the 1979 playoffs, so they voided any claim on him.[8]

The following are the players selected in the 1979 NHL expansion draft:

Hartford Whalers selections

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Overall # Player Drafted from
1. Alan Hangsleben (D) Montreal Canadiens
5. Nick Fotiu (LW) New York Rangers
9. Rick Ley (D) Toronto Maple Leafs
13. Al Sims (D) Boston Bruins
17. Jean Savard (C) Chicago Black Hawks
21. Ralph Klassen (F) Colorado Rockies
25. Rick Hodgson (D) Atlanta Flames
29. Kevin Kemp (D) Toronto Maple Leafs
33. Bill Bennett (LW) Boston Bruins
37. Bernie Johnston (C/LW) Philadelphia Flyers
41. Brian Hill (RW) Atlanta Flames
45. Dave Given (F) Buffalo Sabres
49. M. F. Schurman (LW) Philadelphia Flyers
53. Nick Beverley (D) Colorado Rockies
57. Norm Lapointe (G) Vancouver Canucks
61. Don Kozak (LW)

[7]

Winnipeg Jets selections

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Overall # Player Drafted from
2. Peter Marsh (LW) Montreal Canadiens
6. Lindsay Middlebrook (G) New York Rangers
10. Bobby Hull (LW) Chicago Black Hawks
14. Al Cameron (D) Detroit Red Wings
18. Dave Hoyda (LW) Philadelphia Flyers
22. Jim Roberts (LW) Minnesota North Stars
26. Lorne Stamler (LW) Toronto Maple Leafs
30. Mark Heaslip (RW) Los Angeles Kings
34. Pierre Hamel (G) Toronto Maple Leafs
38. Gord McTavish (F) St. Louis Blues
42. Gord Smith (D) Washington Capitals
46. Clark Hamilton (C) Detroit Red Wings
50. Jim Cunningham (LW) Philadelphia Flyers
54. Dennis Abgrall (RW) Los Angeles Kings
60. Bill Riley (W) Washington Capitals
62. Gene Carr (C) Atlanta Flames
66. Hilliard Graves (RW) Vancouver Canucks

[7]

Quebec Nordiques selections

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Overall # Player Drafted from
3. Dave Farrish (D) New York Rangers
7. Gerry Hart (D) New York Islanders
11. Ron Low (G) Detroit Red Wings
15. Pierre Plante (RW) New York Rangers
19. Blair Stewart (F) Washington Capitals
23. John Baby (D) Minnesota North Stars
27. John Smrke (LW) St. Louis Blues
31. Dave Parro (G) Boston Bruins
35. Ken Kuzyk (RW) Minnesota North Stars
39. Roland Cloutier (C) Detroit Red Wings
43. Terry Martin (F) Buffalo Sabres
47. Jamie Masters (D) St. Louis Blues
51. Hartland Monahan (F) Los Angeles Kings
55. Ron Andruff (C) Colorado Rockies
59. Alain Cote (LW) Montreal Canadiens
63. Lars Zetterstrom (D) Vancouver Canucks

[7]

Edmonton Oilers selections

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Overall # Player Drafted from
4. Cam Connor (RW) Montreal Canadiens
8. Lee Fogolin (D) Buffalo Sabres
12. Pat Price (D) New York Islanders
16. Colin Campbell (D) Pittsburgh Penguins
20. Larry Brown (D) Los Angeles Kings
24. Pete LoPresti (G) Minnesota North Stars
28. Ron Areshenkoff (C) Buffalo Sabres
32. Inge Hammarstrom (D) St. Louis Blues
36. John Gould (RW) Atlanta Flames
40. Doug Hicks (D) Chicago Black Hawks
44. Tom Edur (D) Pittsburgh Penguins
48. Wayne Bianchin (LW)
52. Mike Forbes (D) Boston Bruins
56. Doug Favell (G) Colorado Rockies
60. Doug Patey (RW) Washington Capitals
64. J. Bob Kelly (LW) Chicago Black Hawks
  • Both Reg Thomas and Dave Hunter are described as being taken in this draft,[9] however in Greig's detailed lists they are both part of the "pre–draft Roster."
  • Dave Hunter was not claimed in the dispersal draft by the team drafted him, the Montreal Canadiens.
  • Reg Thomas was not claimed in the dispersal draft by the team that drafted him, the Chicago Black Hawks.[7]

See also

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Citations

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  1. ^ Greig p. 213
  2. ^ "N.H.L. Players' Group Consents to Merger". New York Times. June 7, 1979. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  3. ^ Greig p. 215
  4. ^ "1979 Draft Quick Facts". Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  5. ^ "1979 NHL Draft Pick John Gibson". Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  6. ^ Matheson, Jim (June 2, 1979). "Oilers take 10 players in draft". Edmonton Journal. Edmonton. Retrieved March 28, 2024. (Subscription required.)
  7. ^ a b c d e Greig p.217
  8. ^ Capitals claim on Gustafsson
  9. ^ Duplacey pp. 1130–1, 1529–30.

References

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