1979 NHL Expansion Draft
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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 the folding of their league, 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.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] Reclaimed players
These are players whose NHL rights were reclaimed when the WHA merged with the NHL. This list is incomplete.
| # | Player | Reclaimed From | Reclaimed By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Doug Berry (C) | Edmonton Oilers | Colorado Rockies |
| 2. | Alan Hangsleben (D) | Hartford Whalers | Montreal Canadiens |
| 3. | John Hughes (D) | Edmonton Oilers | Vancouver Canucks |
| 4. | Bobby Hull (LW) | Winnipeg Jets | Chicago Black Hawks |
| 5. | Rod Langway (D) | Birmingham Bulls | Montreal Canadiens |
| 6. | Norm Lapointe (G) | Cincinnati Stingers | Vancouver Canucks |
| 7. | Rick Ley (D) | Hartford Whalers | Toronto Maple Leafs |
| 8. | Mike Liut (G) | Cincinnati Stingers | St. Louis Blues |
| 9. | George Lyle (LW) | Hartford Whalers | Detroit Red Wings |
| 10. | Warren Miller (RW) | Hartford Whalers | New York Rangers |
[edit] Expansion Draft Results
[edit] 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 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.
[edit] Edmonton Oilers selections
| # | Player | Drafted From | Drafted By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pete LoPresti (G) | Minnesota North Stars | Edmonton Oilers |
| 2. | Doug Favell (G) | Colorado Rockies | Edmonton Oilers |
| 3. | Cam Connor (RW) | Montreal Canadiens | Edmonton Oilers |
| 4. | Lee Fogolin (D) | Buffalo Sabres | Edmonton Oilers |
| 5. | Pat Price (D) | New York Islanders | Edmonton Oilers |
| 6. | Colin Campbell (D) | Pittsburgh Penguins | Edmonton Oilers |
| 7. | Larry Brown (D) | Los Angeles Kings | Edmonton Oilers |
| 8. | Ron Areshenkoff (C) | Buffalo Sabres | Edmonton Oilers |
| 9. | Inge Hammarström (D) | St. Louis Blues | Edmonton Oilers |
| 10. | John Gould (RW) | Atlanta Flames | Edmonton Oilers |
| 11. | Doug Hicks (D) | Chicago Black Hawks | Edmonton Oilers |
| 12. | Tom Edur (D) | Pittsburgh Penguins | Edmonton Oilers |
| 13. | Wayne Bianchin (LW) | Pittsburgh Penguins | Edmonton Oilers |
| 14. | Mike Forbes (D) | Boston Bruins | Edmonton Oilers |
| 15. | Doug Patey (RW) | Washington Capitals | Edmonton Oilers |
| 16. | Bob Kelly (LW) | Chicago Black Hawks | Edmonton Oilers |
[edit] Hartford Whalers selections
| # | Player | Drafted From | Drafted By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rick Ley (D) | Toronto Maple Leafs | Hartford Whalers |
| 2. | Nick Fotiu (LW) | New York Rangers | Hartford Whalers |
| 3. | Al Sims (D) | Boston Bruins | Hartford Whalers |
| 4. | Bernie Johnston (C/LW) | Philadelphia Flyers | Hartford Whalers |
| 5. | Brian Hill (RW) | Atlanta Flames | Hartford Whalers |
| 6. | M. F. Schurman (LW) | Philadelphia Flyers | Hartford Whalers |
| 7. | Rick Hodgson (D) | Atlanta Flames | Hartford Whalers |
| 8. | Kevin Kemp (D) | Toronto Maple Leafs | Hartford Whalers |
| 9. | Jean Savard (C) | Chicago Black Hawks | Hartford Whalers |
| 10. | Alan Hangsleben (D) | Montreal Canadiens | Hartford Whalers |
| 11. | Ralph Klassen (F) | Colorado Rockies | Hartford Whalers |
| 12. | Bill Bennett (LW) | Boston Bruins | Hartford Whalers |
| 13. | Dave Given (F) | Buffalo Sabres | Hartford Whalers |
| 14. | Nick Beverley (D) | Colorado Rockies | Hartford Whalers |
| 15. | Norm Lapointe (G) | Vancouver Canucks | Hartford Whalers |
| 16. | Don Kozak (?) | Vancouver Canucks | Hartford Whalers |
[edit] Quebec Nordiques selections
| # | Player | Drafted From | Drafted By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Blair Stewart (F) | Washington Capitals | Quebec Nordiques |
| 2. | Terry Martin (F) | Buffalo Sabres | Quebec Nordiques |
| 3. | Ron Low (G) | Detroit Red Wings | Quebec Nordiques |
| 4. | John Smrke (LW) | St. Louis Blues | Quebec Nordiques |
| 5. | Jamie Masters (D) | St. Louis Blues | Quebec Nordiques |
| 6. | Dave Farrish (D) | New York Rangers | Quebec Nordiques |
| 7. | Gerry Hart (D) | New York Islanders | Quebec Nordiques |
| 8. | Pierre Plante (RW) | New York Rangers | Quebec Nordiques |
| 9. | John Baby (D) | Minnesota North Stars | Quebec Nordiques |
| 10. | Dave Parro (G) | Boston Bruins | Quebec Nordiques |
| 11. | Ken Kuzyk (RW) | Minnesota North Stars | Quebec Nordiques |
| 12. | Roland Cloutier (C) | Detroit Red Wings | Quebec Nordiques |
| 13. | Jamie Masters (D) | St. Louis Blues | Quebec Nordiques |
| 14. | Hartland Monahan (F) | Los Angeles Kings | Quebec Nordiques |
| 15. | Ron Andruff (C) | Colorado Rockies | Quebec Nordiques |
| 16. | Alain Cote (LW) | Montreal Canadiens | Quebec Nordiques |
| 17. | Lars Zetterstrom (D) | Vancouver Canucks | Quebec Nordiques |
[edit] Winnipeg Jets selections
| # | Player | Drafted From | Drafted By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Peter Marsh (LW) | Pittsburgh Penguins | Winnipeg Jets |
| 2. | Lindsay Middlebrook (G) | New York Rangers | Winnipeg Jets |
| 3. | Bobby Hull (LW) | Chicago Black Hawks | Winnipeg Jets |
| 4. | Al Cameron (D) | Detroit Red Wings | Winnipeg Jets |
| 5. | Dave Hoyda (LW) | Philadelphia Flyers | Winnipeg Jets |
| 6. | Jim Roberts (LW) | Minnesota North Stars | Winnipeg Jets |
| 7. | Lorne Stamler (LW) | Toronto Maple Leafs | Winnipeg Jets |
| 8. | Mark Heaslip (RW) | Los Angeles Kings | Winnipeg Jets |
| 9. | Pierre Hamel (G) | Toronto Maple Leafs | Winnipeg Jets |
| 10. | Gord McTavish (F) | St. Louis Blues | Winnipeg Jets |
| 11. | Gord Smith (D) | Washington Capitals | Winnipeg Jets |
| 12. | Clark Hamilton (C) | Detroit Red Wings | Winnipeg Jets |
| 13. | Jim Cunningham (LW) | Philadelphia Flyers | Winnipeg Jets |
| 14. | Dennis Abgrall (RW) | Los Angeles Kings | Winnipeg Jets |
| 15. | Bill Riley (W) | Washington Capitals | Winnipeg Jets |
| 16. | Gene Carr (C) | Atlanta Flames | Winnipeg Jets |
| 17. | Hilliard Graves (RW) | Vancouver Canucks | Winnipeg Jets |
[edit] See also
| Preceded by 1974 NHL Expansion Draft |
NHL Expansion Draft 1979 |
Succeeded by 1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts |
