The 1979 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 13, 1979. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the 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.
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.
Rules
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 as, 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. After deliberation, the Oilers were allowed to keep Gretzky as one of their priority selections, and were forced 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 rights, led to the Wings declining to reclaim Howe.
Expansion draft: Each of the 17 existing NHL teams were allowed to protect 15 skaters and two veteran goalies.
Reclaimed players
These are players whose NHL rights were reclaimed when the WHA merged with the NHL. This list is incomplete.
Expansion draft results
Priority selecions
These players were "priority selections" in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft.
# | Player | Rights denied | Rights kept |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Dave Dryden (G) | Buffalo Sabres | Edmonton Oilers |
2. | Wayne Gretzky (C) | -- | Edmonton Oilers |
3. | Bengt-Åke Gustafsson1 (RW) | Washington Capitals | Edmonton Oilers |
4. | Eddie Mio (G) | Minnesota North Stars | Edmonton Oilers |
5. | Jordy Douglas (F) | Toronto Maple Leafs | Hartford Whalers |
6. | John Garrett (G) | St. Louis Blues | Hartford Whalers |
7. | Mark Howe (D) | Boston Bruins | Hartford Whalers |
8. | Paul Baxter (D) | Pittsburgh Penguins | Quebec Nordiques |
9. | Richard Brodeur (G) | New York Islanders | Quebec Nordiques |
10. | Garry Lariviere (D) | Buffalo Sabres | Quebec Nordiques |
11. | Scott Campbell (D) | St. Louis Blues | Winnipeg Jets |
12. | Morris Lukowich (LW) | Pittsburgh Penguins | Winnipeg Jets |
13. | Markus Mattsson (G) | New York Islanders | Winnipeg Jets |
1 The NHL denied the Oilers' claim of Bengt Gustafsson. The Capitals' rights to Gustafsson were granted instead.
These are players selected in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft. The players were not chosen in this particular order. This list is incomplete.
Edmonton Oilers selections
# | Player | Drafted from |
---|---|---|
1. | Pete LoPresti (G) | Minnesota North Stars |
2. | Doug Favell (G) | Colorado Rockies |
3. | Cam Connor (RW) | Montreal Canadiens |
4. | Lee Fogolin (D) | Buffalo Sabres |
5. | Pat Price (D) | New York Islanders |
6. | Colin Campbell (D) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
7. | Larry Brown (D) | Los Angeles Kings |
8. | Ron Areshenkoff (C) | Buffalo Sabres |
9. | Inge Hammarström (D) | St. Louis Blues |
10. | John Gould (RW) | Atlanta Flames |
11. | Doug Hicks (D) | Chicago Black Hawks |
12. | Tom Edur (D) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
13. | Wayne Bianchin (LW) | Pittsburgh Penguins |
14. | Mike Forbes (D) | Boston Bruins |
15. | Doug Patey (RW) | Washington Capitals |
16. | Bob Kelly (LW) | Chicago Black Hawks |
17. | Reg Thomas (C) | Chicago Black Hawks |
18. | Dave Hunter (LW) | Montreal Canadiens |
Hartford Whalers selections
# | Player | Drafted from |
---|---|---|
1. | Rick Ley (D) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
2. | Nick Fotiu (LW) | New York Rangers |
3. | Al Sims (D) | Boston Bruins |
4. | Bernie Johnston (C/LW) | Philadelphia Flyers |
5. | Brian Hill (RW) | Atlanta Flames |
6. | M. F. Schurman (LW) | Philadelphia Flyers |
7. | Rick Hodgson (D) | Atlanta Flames |
8. | Kevin Kemp (D) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
9. | Jean Savard (C) | Chicago Black Hawks |
10. | Alan Hangsleben (D) | Montreal Canadiens |
11. | Ralph Klassen (F) | Colorado Rockies |
12. | Bill Bennett (LW) | Boston Bruins |
13. | Dave Given (F) | Buffalo Sabres |
14. | Nick Beverley (D) | Colorado Rockies |
15. | Norm Lapointe (G) | Vancouver Canucks |
16. | Don Kozak (LW) | Vancouver Canucks |
Quebec Nordiques selections
# | Player | Drafted from |
---|---|---|
1. | Blair Stewart (F) | Washington Capitals |
2. | Terry Martin (F) | Buffalo Sabres |
3. | Ron Low (G) | Detroit Red Wings |
4. | John Smrke (LW) | St. Louis Blues |
5. | Jamie Masters (D) | St. Louis Blues |
6. | Dave Farrish (D) | New York Rangers |
7. | Gerry Hart (D) | New York Islanders |
8. | Pierre Plante (RW) | New York Rangers |
9. | John Baby (D) | Minnesota North Stars |
10. | Dave Parro (G) | Boston Bruins |
11. | Ken Kuzyk (RW) | Minnesota North Stars |
12. | Roland Cloutier (C) | Detroit Red Wings |
13. | Jamie Masters (D) | St. Louis Blues |
14. | Hartland Monahan (F) | Los Angeles Kings |
15. | Ron Andruff (C) | Colorado Rockies |
16. | Alain Cote (LW) | Montreal Canadiens |
17. | Lars Zetterström (D) | Vancouver Canucks |
Winnipeg Jets selections
# | Player | Drafted from |
---|---|---|
1. | Peter Marsh (LW) | Montreal Canadiens |
2. | Lindsay Middlebrook (G) | New York Rangers |
3. | Bobby Hull (LW) | Chicago Black Hawks |
4. | Al Cameron (D) | Detroit Red Wings |
5. | Dave Hoyda (LW) | Philadelphia Flyers |
6. | Jim Roberts (LW) | Minnesota North Stars |
7. | Lorne Stamler (LW) | Toronto Maple Leafs |
8. | Mark Heaslip (RW) | Los Angeles Kings |
9. | Pierre Hamel (G) | Toronto Maple Leafss |
10. | Gord McTavish (F) | St. Louis Blues |
11. | Gord Smith (D) | Washington Capitals |
12. | Clark Hamilton (C) | Detroit Red Wings |
13. | Jim Cunningham (LW) | Philadelphia Flyers |
14. | Dennis Abgrall (RW) | Los Angeles Kings |
15. | Bill Riley (W) | Washington Capitals |
16. | Gene Carr (C) | Atlanta Flames |
17. | Hilliard Graves (RW) | Vancouver Canucks |
References
- Hartford/New England Whalers All-Time Roster
- WHA Oilers Page - 1979 Expansion Draft (webarchive.org 11/29/2003)
- Washington Capitals History 1979-1980
- St. Louis Blues Team Records
- Foundation Begins with Goaltending by Al Morganti @ ESPN.com
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