Friday, June 29, 2012

Requests?

Nice to see that this little corner of the internet is getting some traffic. It's still a small number so I have the time to take a peek at the sorts of keywords you out there are using to find these pages. I haven't had much time lately to post something substantial but I thought I'd throw this out anyway: if there's something in particular that you're looking for, anything similar to what I've posted so far but haven't yet posted, leave a comment. For example I have loads and loads of this transaction data I haven't gotten around to posting, and so far I'm just posting it in completely random order. I'd rather help somebody out with something specific.

Cheers!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

The 1972 NHL Expansion and Inter-League Drafts

In November, 1971 the NHL awarded two new expansion franchises: one to Atlanta Hockey Inc., to play out of the new Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, and the other to Nassau Sports Ltd., playing out of Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, New York. The decision to place teams in Atlanta and Long Island were seen as pre-emptive strikes against the World Hockey Association who might otherwise have operated teams in the new arenas. For the third time in only five years the NHL was expanding.

Like the 1967 and 1970 expansion drafts before it the 1972 draft allowed the new teams, the Atlanta Flames and New York Islanders, to draft players from the existing clubs. The two new teams paid $6,000,000 expansion fees and with those fees were allowed to pick 21 players, three players from each of the 14 existing teams. In other terms they paid $285,714.29 per new player. (The Islanders also paid a $4,000,000 indemnification fee to the Rangers for having encroached upon the Rangers' 'territory', so in a sense the Islanders spent $476,190.48 on each player!)

The rules were similar to the previous expansion drafts in 1967 and 1970: existing teams protected their best players (in this case 15 skaters and two goalies) and the expansion teams could have their pick of the rest. When a pick was made the team losing a player was allowed to add another to its protected list. The existing teams could lose only a maximum of three players, including a maximum of one goaltender. The Seals, Flyers, Canadiens and Blues could exempt themselves from losing a goaltender because they had each lost a goalie in the 1970 Expansion Draft. Montreal and St. Louis chose to leave themselves open losing a goalie again. First-year pros were also exempt.

Like the 1967 Expansion Draft, unlike the 1970 draft, the goaltenders were chosen first. Because each team could only lose one goaltender they didn't have to fill their protected list with another, they could fill with a player of any position. This had particular implications for the Canadiens which I will explain after the table of results.

The draft order was determined by a coin toss and a gentlemen's agreement between Flames General Manager Cliff Fletcher (who, if you're a new hockey fan, you might not know is the father of Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher) and Islanders GM Bill Torrey. The rules were that two coin tosses were to occur to determine who would chose first in the expansion draft and who would chose first in the amateur draft. The winner of the former coin toss would also chose first in the inter-league draft, only participated in this year by the Islanders and Flames. The expansion draft order would reverse after the second round of goalie selections, so that the team who lost the coin toss for first pick (of a goaltender) would get the first choice of skater.

The rules for determining the draft order were similar in 1970, when Sabres GM Punch Imlach won a coin toss for first choice in the intra-league draft and a roulette-esque game of chance over Canucks GM Bud Poile for first choices in the expansion and amateur drafts. Imlach chose Tom Webster with the first pick in the expansion draft, whom he traded to the Red Wings later that day for goalie Roger Crozier, giving him arguably the better goaltending between the two expansion clubs on top of having the first choice of forwards and defencemen. To top it off he had first overall in the amateur draft and chose future hall-of-famer Gilbert Perreault; the Canucks settled for Dale Tallon.

This brings us back to the gentlemen's agreement I mentioned before. Rather than leave themselves open to being on the losing side of both coin tosses, as Bud Poile was in 1970, Fletcher and Torrey decided to have the single coin toss for first overall in the amateur draft (since the amateur draft was expected to produce a future star player while the expansion draft was merely a pick of the dregs of the established teams). The winner of the coin toss would retain first choice in the amateur draft and cede first choices in the expansion and inter-league drafts to the other. Torrey won the coin toss, giving the Flames first choice (of goaltenders) in the expansion and inter-league drafts while the Islanders retained first choice in the amateur draft (and by extension the first choice of skaters in the expansion draft).

The existing teams protected the following players:

Boston BruinsBuffalo SabresCalifornia Golden SealsChicago Black HawksDetroit Red WingsLos Angeles KingsMinnesota North Stars
Goaltenders
Gerry CheeversRoger CrozierexemptTony EspositoAndy BrownGary EdwardsCesare Maniago
Eddie JohnstonDave Dryden Gary SmithAl SmithRogie VachonGump Worsley
Skaters
Don AwreySteve AndersonIvan BoldirevChris BordeleauRed BerensonRalph BackstromFred Barrett
Garnet BaileyMike ByersGary CroteauJ.P. BordeleauGary BergmanDoug BarrieJude Drouin
John BucykButch DeadmarshStan GilbertsonDennis HullArnie BrownSerge BernierBarry Gibbs
Wayne CashmanAl HamiltonJoe JohnstonBobby HullGuy CharronBob BerryBill Goldsworthy
Phil EspositoTim HortonPete LaframboiseDoug JarrettBill CollinsLarry BrownDanny Grant
Ken HodgeJim LorentzReggie LeachJerry KorabAlex DelvecchioMike CorriganTed Harris
Don MarcotteDon LuceBert MarshallCliff KorollGary DoakPaul CurtisBuster Harvey
Fred O'DonnellRay McKayWalt McKechnieDarryl MaggsTim EcclestonButch GoringDennis Hextall
Ron PlumbGerry MeehanGerry PinderKeith MagnusonTom GilmoreJim JohnsonDoug Mohns
Bobby OrrGilbert PerreaultDick RedmondChico MakiLarry JohnstonReal LemieuxLou Nanne
Derek SandersonTracy PrattBobby SheehanPit MartinAl KarlanderBill LesukBob Nevin
Dallas SmithRene RobertPaul ShmyrStan MikitaSerge LajeunesseBarry LongDennis O'Brien
Fred StanfieldPaul TerbencheRick SmithJim PappinNick LibettGilles MarotteMurray Oliver
Carol VadnaisJim WatsonBob StewartPat StapletonMickey RedmondDoug VolmarJ. P. Parise
Mike WaltonRandy WyrozubTom WebsterBill WhiteRon StackhouseJuha WidingTom Reid
Montreal CanadiensNew York RangersPhiladelphia FlyersPittsburgh PenguinsSt. Louis BluesToronto Maple LeafsVancouver Canucks
Goaltenders
Ken DrydenEd GiacominexemptCam NewtonJacques CaronBernie ParentGeorge Gardner
Michel PlasseGilles Villemure Jim RutherfordPeter McDuffeJacques PlanteDunc Wilson
Skaters
Pierre BouchardAb DeMarcoBarry AshbeeSyl AppsCurt BennettBobby BaunDave Balon
Yvan CournoyerJim DoreyBill BrossartLarry BignellAndre DupontRon EllisGreg Boddy
Terry HarperBill FairbairnBobby ClarkeDave BurrowsJack EgersBrian GlennieAndre Boudrias
Rejean HouleRod GilbertBill ClementSteve CardwellChris EvansJim HarrisonDave Dunn
Jacques LaperriereVic HadfieldGary DornhoeferDarryl EdestrandFran HuckPaul HendersonJim Hargreaves
Guy LapointeTed IrvineRick FoleyNick HarbarukMike MurphyPierre JarryDennis Kearns
Claude LaroseBruce MacGregorBob KellyBryan HextallDanny O'SheaDave KeonOrland Kurtenbach
Jacques LemaireJim NeilsonRoss LonsberrySheldon KannegiesserKevin O'SheaRick LeyWayne Maki
Frank MahovlichBrad ParkRick MacLeishRick KessellBarclay PlagerJim McKennyGerry O'Flaherty
Pete MahovlichJean RatelleSimon NoletAl McDonoughBob PlagerGarry MonahanRosie Paiement
Henri RichardDale RolfeJean PotvinGreg PolisPhil RobertoMike PelykPoul Popeil
Jim RobertsBobby RousseauDon SaleskiJean PronovostGary SabourinLarry PleauBobby Schmautz
Serge SavardRod SeilingDave SchultzDuane RuppFrank St. MarseilleDarryl SittlerDale Tallon
Marc TardifPete StemkowskiEd Van ImpeRon SchockFloyd ThompsonErrol ThompsonDon Tannahill
J.C. TremblayWalt TkaczukJoe WatsonBryan WatsonGarry UngerNorm UllmanBarry Wilkins

The draft proceeded as follows on June 6, 1972:

OverallPlayer ChosenByFromFill-In
Goaltenders
1Phil MyreAtlanta FlamesMontreal CanadiensChuck Lefley
2Gerry DesjardinsNew York IslandersChicago Black HawksDan Maloney
3Dan BouchardAtlanta FlamesBoston BruinsJohn McKenzie
4Billy SmithNew York IslandersLos Angeles KingsBob Woytowich
Skaters
5Bart CrashleyNew York IslandersMontreal CanadiensBob Murdoch
6Kerry KetterAtlanta FlamesMontreal Canadiens
7Dave HudsonNew York IslandersChicago Black HawksJohn Marks
8Norm GrattonAtlanta FlamesNew York RangersGlen Sather
9Ed WestfallNew York IslandersBoston BruinsNick Beverley
10Ron HarrisAtlanta FlamesDetroit Red WingsLeon Rochefort
11Garry PetersNew York IslandersBoston Bruins
12Larry RomanchychAtlanta FlamesChicago Black Hawks
13Larry HornungNew York IslandersSt. Louis BluesJohn Arbour
14Bill MacMillanAtlanta FlamesToronto Maple LeafsDenis Dupere
15Bryan LefleyNew York IslandersNew York RangersSteve Andrascik
16Randy ManeryAtlanta FlamesDetroit Red WingsRalph Stewart
17Brian SpencerNew York IslandersToronto Maple LeafsGuy Trottier
18Keith McCrearyAtlanta FlamesPittsburgh PenguinsEddie Shack
19Terry CrispNew York IslandersSt. Louis BluesNoel Picard
20Ernie HickeAtlanta FlamesCalifornia Golden SealsWayne Carleton
21Ted HampsonNew York IslandersMinnesota North StarsBob Paradise
22Lew MorrisonAtlanta FlamesPhiladelphia FlyersBill Flett
23Gerry HartNew York IslandersDetroit Red Wings
24Lucien GrenierAtlanta FlamesLos Angeles KingsWayne Lachance
25John SchellaNew York IslandersVancouver CanucksJohn Wright
26Bill PlagerAtlanta FlamesSt. Louis Blues
27Bill MikkelsonNew York IslandersLos Angeles Kings
28Morris StefaniwAtlanta FlamesNew York Rangers
29Craig CameronNew York IslandersMinnesota North StarsGord Labossiere
30John StewartAtlanta FlamesPittsburgh PenguinsKen Schinkel
31Tom MillerNew York IslandersBuffalo SabresDanny Lawson
32Bob LeiterAtlanta FlamesPittsburgh Penguins
33Brian MarchinkoNew York IslandersToronto Maple Leafs
34Pat QuinnAtlanta FlamesVancouver CanucksWayne Connelly
35Ted TaylorNew York IslandersVancouver Canucks
36Larry HaleAtlanta FlamesPhiladelphia FlyersMike Parizeau
37Norm FergusonNew York IslandersCalifornia Golden SealsMarshall Johnston
38Bill HeindlAtlanta FlamesMinnesota North Stars
39Jim MairNew York IslandersPhiladelphia Flyers
40Frank HughesAtlanta FlamesCalifornia Golden Seals
41Ken MurrayNew York IslandersBuffalo SabresJack Taggart
42Rod ZaineAtlanta FlamesBuffalo Sabres

Note that, as I said before, the Canadiens could have exempted themselves from losing another goaltender in an expansion draft (they lost two in 1967 and one in 1970, most of any club up to that point), and chose not to. They had a plethora of talented young goaltenders and were willing to lose one in order to keep a few of their top prospects. Behind closed doors the Canadiens made deals with both the Flames and Islanders so that Montreal would get to keep its pick of prospects. In exchange for taking the players the Canadiens wanted them to take the Flames and Islanders would receive several Canadiens players as compensation at a later date.

When the Flames took Phil Myre first overall in the expansion draft this allowed the Canadiens to protect Chuck Lefley, then a point-per-game player for the AHL's Nova Scotia Voyageurs (Montreal's top affiliate). The Islanders and Flames agreed to take Bart Crashley and Kerry Ketter as the first and second skater selections, allowing the Canadiens to keep Bob Murdoch (defenceman Robert John Murdoch, who played for the Canadiens, Kings and eventually the Flames; not winger Robert Lovell Murdoch, who played for the Golden Seals, Barons and Blues). Over the following couple months the Canadiens made several trades with the Flames and Islanders to compensate them; the Flames ended up with Rey Comeau, Noel Price, Lynn Powis and Ted Tucker while the Islanders got Denis DeJordy, Chico Resch and Germain Gagnon. Going back to the Canadiens were mostly high draft picks and 'cash'. I say 'cash' with scare quotes because it was well understood at the time that the consideration in these deals was not money but rather having followed the Canadiens' draft plans.

Later that day the Flames chose defenceman Bill Speer first overall in the Inter-League Draft. Speer had signed a contract with the WHA's New York Raiders and never played in the NHL again. The Flames chose to pass on the rest of their selections while the Islanders picked four players. Where applicable I have added the NHL team that held the chosen player's rights in parentheses. (Bill Speer's rights were sold to the Providence Reds by the Bruins on Nov. 5, 1971.)

OverallPlayer ChosenByFrom
1Bill SpeerAtlanta FlamesProvidence Reds (AHL)
2Neil NicholsonNew York IslandersSalt Lake Golden Eagles (WHL)
(California Golden Seals)
3Don BlackburnNew York IslandersProvidence Reds (AHL)
(New York Rangers)
4Connie ForeyNew York IslandersHershey Bears (AHL)
(Pittsburgh Penguins)
5Dennis KassianNew York IslandersCincinnati Swords (AHL)
(Buffalo Sabres)

Sources:
"Hockey Draft Is To Start Tuesday". The Spartanburg Herald. Associated Press. (Spartanburg, South Carolina). June 5, 1972. s. B p. 3. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=l4AsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NM0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6650%2C901924
"The protected lists". Montreal Gazette. June 6, 1972. p. 13

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

2012 Stanley Cup Champions

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Kings for making hockey history of their own last night. They're the first #8 playoff seed to win the Stanley Cup since the format was introduced, and it's their first Stanley Cup in the team's 45-year existence.

Of the 1967 expansion teams still remaining the only one that hasn't won a Stanley Cup is the St. Louis Blues, this past season's surprise #2 seed in the Western Conference. For their sake I hope they can translate their regular season success to post-season success next year.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

1972 NHL Intra-League Draft

The Intra-League Draft, as mentioned in an earlier post, was the forerunner of the Waiver Draft. NHL clubs protected their best players and allowed the rest of the league to have the pick of the rest, the idea being that the worst teams could improve themselves by acquiring the talent of the better teams for a nominal fee (in 1972, $40,000) and (eventually) the league's competition would be a little closer to parity.


The players being exchanged were often either older vets on their way out or younger players who hadn't yet established themselves. The biggest name in the '72 draft, Tim Horton, was definitely one of the former. The four-time Stanley Cup champion was 42 years old, heading into his 21st full year in the NHL. By this time he was supposedly very myopic (literally, not figuratively) and very highly compensated, which is why the Penguins were not upset in parting with his services. He played about a season-and-a-half in Buffalo, famously having died when he lost control of his De Tomaso Pantera in the wee hours of the morning of the 21st of February, 1974.


The way the Intra-League Draft worked was that the teams would submit protected lists, lists of player who would not be eligible to be picked, to the NHL Central Registry. If a team picked a player from another team the team that was picking had to remove a player from its protected list in order to accommodate the new player. As consideration the team that was losing the player had a choice between taking a cash fee (again, $40,000 in 1972) or claiming the player that the other team had removed from its protected list (and paying the claiming team $30,000). For example the Canucks picked Don Tannahill from the Bruins, they removed Don Ward from their own protected list, and Boston had the choice of $40,000 or taking Ward; they chose the cash. When the Kings picked Barry Long from the Black Hawks they removed Bill Orban from their list and instead of taking the cash the Black Hawks took Orban (and paid the Kings back $30,000, so the net return was Orban and $10,000).

OverallPlayer ChosenByFromPlayer Removed
From Protected List
Claim player
or cash
Round 1
1Don TannahillVancouver CanucksBoston BruinsDon Wardcash
2Barry LongLos Angeles KingsChicago Black HawksBill Orbanclaim
3Tim HortonBuffalo SabresPittsburgh PenguinsDanny Lawsoncash
4Larry PleauToronto Maple LeafsMontreal CanadiensBrad Selwoodclaim
Round 2
5Gerry O'FlahertyVancouver CanucksToronto Maple LeafsJim Niekampcash
6Doug VolmarLos Angeles KingsDetroit Red WingsLucien Greniercash

1972 Reverse Draft

The 1972 Reverse Draft was held June 8 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. The rules were that no NHL team could lose more than two players, and each pick cost the minor league team $15,000. A second phase of the draft, the rules to which I'm not certain of but I presume entail the NHL teams protecting more players than in the first phase, was held immediately after. In the second phase the pick price was halved to $7,500 and only one pick was made in this second phase of drafting. Note that I have called it "Round 4".


Note that players picked by a minor league club from their parent affiliate didn't count toward the two player limit. For example it appears the Canucks lost three players: John Hanna, Duke Harris and Barry Cummins. Hanna was picked by the Totems, a Canucks affiliate, therefore he didn't count toward the limit. In effect he didn't go anywhere and the Totems paid the Canucks $15,000 for allowing him to stay in Seattle; coincidentally he was lost to the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders anyway.



OverallPlayer ChosenByFrom
Round 1
1Larry MavetyTidewater WingsBuffalo Sabres
(Salt Lake Golden Eagles, WHL)
2Bob RoselleSeattle TotemsSt. Louis Blues
(Kansas City Blues, CHL)
3Don O'DonoghueRochester AmericansBoston Bruins
(Boston Braves, AHL)
4Marv EdwardsSalt Lake Golden EaglesToronto Maple Leafs
(Phoenix Roadrunners, WHL)
5Rene LeclercProvidence RedsDetroit Red Wings
(Tidewater Wings, AHL)
6Ron AndersonSan Diego GullsBuffalo Sabres
(Salt Lake Golden Eagles, WHL)
7Andre GaudetteRichmond RobinsPhiladelphia Flyers
(Richmond Robins, AHL)
8Bob PepplerPortland BuckaroosChicago Black Hawks
(Syracuse Blazers, EHL)
9Joe DaleyCleveland BaronsDetroit Red Wings
10Bernie BlanchettePhoenix RoadrunnersSt. Louis Blues
(Kansas City Blues, CHL)
11Ross WebleySpringfield KingsBoston Bruins
(Oklahoma City Blazers, CHL)
passDenver Spurs
passCincinnati Swords
12Hank NowakHershey BearsPhiladelphia Flyers
(Richmond Robins, AHL)
13Jim ShawBaltimore ClippersChicago Black Hawks
(Baltimore Clippers, AHL)
14Bruce LandonNova Scotia VoyageursLos Angeles Kings
(Springfield Kings, AHL)
15Kerry BondBoston BravesCalifornia Golden Seals
(Phoenix Roadrunners, WHL)
Round 2
16John HannaSeattle TotemsVancouver Canucks
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
17Duke HarrisRochester AmericansVancouver Canucks
(Rochester Americans, AHL)
18Barry CumminsSalt Lake Golden EaglesVancouver Canucks
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
19Howie HughesSan Diego GullsLos Angeles Kings
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
20Jim YoungPortland BuckaroosChicago Black Hawks
(Flint Generals, IHL)
21Ron DussiaumeSpringfield KingsChicago Black Hawks
(Dallas Black Hawks, CHL)
22Roy EdwardsHershey BearsPittsburgh Penguins
23Claude PicheBoston BravesMinnesota North Stars
(Roanoke Valley Rebels, EHL)
Round 3
all teams passed
Round 4
24Hal WillisPhoenix RoadrunnersSt. Louis Blues
(Denver Spurs, WHL)

Sources:
"How the reverse draft went". Montreal Gazette. June 9, 1972. p. 18.

1968 Reverse Draft

Since I'm already on a kick of posting draft results, what the hell: might as well keep going!


The 1968 Reverse Draft was held June 13. The big news this year was that (gasp!) actual NHLers were taken! The most notable at the time was almost certainly Allan Stanley, then a 42-year-old veteran whose NHL career stretched all the way back to the late 1940s. He was a cornerstone of the Maple Leafs defence in the 1960s, having helped them to win four Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. Stanley was chosen by the Quebec Aces, then AHL affiliates of the Flyers. He would finish off his career playing a year in Philly.


In stark contrast to the 1965 Reverse Draft where as I pointed out only one player chosen had NHL experience in the previous season, many of the choices taken in '68 had played in the NHL in the preceding year. In fact Stanley, Ed Hoesktra and Seth Martin spent the whole year in the NHL and at no point in the season were they assigned to the minors.


For Hoekstra that was his one and only season as a bona fide NHL player. He played for the Flyers after having spent the better part of his career with the Quebec Aces. He never played another NHL game after that one year.


Martin was Glenn Hall's backup in St. Louis and was left exposed in this draft because he'd already made it known that he was going to retire as a professional hockey player and go back to Trail, B.C. He played another year with the famed Smoke Eaters, with whom he'd won the World Championship in 1961 and Allan Cup in 1962, and followed that up with a last hurrah in 1969-1970 with the Spokane Jets of the Western International Hockey League. The Jets defeated the Orillia Terriers in the Allan Cup finals and Martin capped off his hockey career with another championship. His replacement in St. Louis? An old pro by the name of Plante...


Trivia for you: centreman Bill Hay, chosen in the second round by the Providence Reds, was retired. He hadn't played any hockey since the end of the 1966-67 season and he never played pro hockey again. He was for a time a member of Black Hawks' "Million Dollar Line", with Murray Balfour on his right and Bobby Hull to his left. Bill Hay was an educated man, you see; after the 1966-67 season he moved permanently to Calgary and put his degree in geology to use, working in the oil industry. (His father, Charles Cecil Hay, was president of the British-American Oil Company at the time; B-A was part-owned by Gulf Oil and became Gulf Canada in 1969.) Hay later became president of the Calgary Flames and is currently the chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

OverallPlayer ChosenByFrom
Round 1
1Jim MorrisonBaltimore ClippersPhiladelphia Flyers
(Quebec Aces, AHL)
2Ed HoekstraDenver SpursPhiladelphia Flyers
3Dick MeissnerProvidence RedsChicago Black Hawks
(Baltimore Clippers, AHL)1
4Brian KilreaVancouver CanucksLos Angeles Kings
(Springfield Kings, AHL)
5Rocky FarrCleveland BaronsMontreal Canadiens
(Houston Apollos, CPHL)
6Roger CotePhoenix RoadrunnersLos Angeles Kings
(Springfield Kings, AHL)
7Ted SnellSpringfield KingsBoston Bruins
(Hershey Bears, AHL)
8Al LebrunSan Diego GullsChicago Black Hawks
(Dallas Black Hawks, CPHL)
9Bob BlackburnBuffalo BisonsNew York Rangers
(Buffalo Bisons, AHL)
10Brian BradleySeattle TotemsBoston Bruins
(Oklahoma City Blazers, CPHL)
11Bob BarberHershey BearsMontreal Canadiens
(Houston Apollos, CPHL)
12Rick FoleyPortland BuckaroosToronto Maple Leafs
(Rochester Americans, AHL)
13Allan StanleyQuebec AcesToronto Maple Leafs
14George GardnerRochester AmericansDetroit Red Wings
(Fort Worth Wings, CPHL)
Round 2
15Bill HayProvidence RedsSt. Louis Blues2
16Jack McCartanSan Diego GullsOakland Seals
(Omaha Knights, CPHL)
17Seth MartinBuffalo BisonsSt. Louis Blues
18Gord VejpravaSeattle TotemsNew York Rangers
(Vancouver Canucks, WHL)
1. Dick Meissner was loaned to the Clippers by the Black Hawks in November, 1967.
2. Bill Hay retired at the end of the 1966-67 season.


The draft price was $15,000 per player.

Sources:
"Quebec Aces pluck Stanley from Leafs". Regina Leader-Post. Canadian Press. June 14, 1967. p. 27. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dOpUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lTwNAAAAIBAJ&pg=2943%2C2840643

Saturday, June 2, 2012

1965 Reverse Draft

1965 was the year of the inaugural Reverse Draft. Held June 10 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, WHL and AHL teams paid $10,000 per pick to the NHL teams. In theory this draft was for the purpose of allowing the minor league teams to draft talent from the NHL clubs, clubs who had been poaching their players for many years. In practice this draft consisted mostly of the big clubs exchanging players from one minor league affiliate to another. The Portland Buckaroos of the WHL, the only WHL club at the time which had no affiliation with an NHL team, didn't bother participating; they passed on all their draft choices.


The draft picks listed below are listed with both the NHL team whom they were nominally picked from as well as the minor-league affiliate they had been playing for in the 1964-65 season.


Note that Carl Wetzel, the goalie taken in the first round by the Quebec Aces, was the only player taken who had spent any time in the NHL in the '64-'65 season. He was the back-up to Roger Crozier and only appeared in two games. In January, 1965 he was demoted to Pittsburgh of the AHL.

OverallPlayer ChosenByFrom
Round 1
Frank MartinProvidence RedsMontreal Canadiens
(Quebec Aces, AHL)
Adam KellerCleveland BaronsDetroit Red Wings
(Pittsburgh Hornets, AHL)
Howie MenardSpringfield IndiansDetroit Red Wings
(Memphis Wings, CPHL)
Pete FordPittsburgh HornetsChicago Black Hawks
(St. Louis Braves, CPHL)
Ken StephansonBaltimore ClippersDetroit Red Wings
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)1
Pete PanagabkoHershey BearsBoston Bruins
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)
Roger LafreniereBuffalo BisonsDetroit Red Wings
(Providence Reds, AHL)
Carl WetzelQuebec AcesDetroit Red Wings
(Pittsburgh Hornets, AHL)
Bob BarlowRochester AmericansMontreal Canadiens
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
Round 2
Dave McCombCleveland BaronsMontreal Canadiens
(Cleveland Barons, AHL)
Brent HughesSpringfield IndiansBoston Bruins
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)
Danny BelislePittsburgh HornetsNew York Rangers
(Vancouver Canucks, WHL)
Duncan MacDonaldBaltimore ClippersToronto Maple Leafs
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)2
Gerry OuelletteBuffalo BisonsBoston Bruins
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)
Moe ManthaQuebec AcesMontreal Canadiens
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
Barrie RossRochester AmericansNew York Rangers
(St. Paul Rangers, CPHL)
Round 3
Wayne SchultzCleveland BaronsBoston Bruins
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)
Jean CossetteBaltimore ClippersMontreal Canadiens
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
Round 4
Gerry BrissonCleveland BaronsMontreal Canadiens
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
Mike CorbettBaltimore ClippersToronto Maple Leafs
(Tulsa Oilers, CPHL)
1. Boston Bruins traded Ken Stephanson to Detroit Red Wings with Ab McDonald and John McKenzie for Bob Dillabough, Ron Harris, Junior Langlois and Parker MacDonald, May 31, 1965.
2. I'm not sure why Duncan MacDonald had been playing for a Bruins affiliate instead of the Maple Leafs; I suspect he had been loaned to the Minneapolis Bruins for the rest of the '64-'65 season. It was not uncommon back then.

OverallPlayer ChosenByFrom
Round 1
Jerry ToppazziniLos Angeles BladesDetroit Red Wings
(Pittsburgh Hornets, AHL)
John GravelSan Francisco SealsBoston Bruins
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)
Bob PerreaultVictoria Maple LeafsBoston Bruins
(San Francisco Seals, WHL)
Ron BoehmVancouver CanucksBoston Bruins
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)
Doug SeniorSeattle TotemsMontreal Canadiens
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
passPortland Buckaroos
Round 2
Harry SindenSan Francisco SealsBoston Bruins
(Minneapolis Bruins, CPHL)
Wayne MuloinVancouver CanucksDetroit Red Wings
(St. Paul Rangers, CPHL)
Ray KinasewichSeattle TotemsMontreal Canadiens
(Seattle Totems, WHL)
Round 3
Buddy BooneVancouver CanucksNew York Rangers
(Vancouver Canucks, WHL)

Again, as with the 1966 Amateur Draft I have assigned no overall order to the picks because I can't be sure whether the AHL and WHL teams picked together or each league had its turn one after the other. The order presented here is accurate with respect to each league.

Source:
"Eight From Habs In Reverse Draft". Montreal Gazette. June 11, 1965. p. 27. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SIY1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Wp8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4308%2C2428581

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