WHA General Player Draft
The World Hockey Association General Player Draft was held over the course of two days, February 12 and February 13, 1972, in Anaheim, California. The purpose of the draft was to establish an orderly process through which WHA teams would stock their rosters by the beginning of their inaugural season later that year. As such, players from other professional teams (notably National Hockey League clubs) were eligible to be drafted. The draftees were not under any legal obligation to sign with the drafting WHA club: other WHA clubs were prevented from negotiating with the players who had been drafted.
The draft was held in two parts: a "Preliminary" round in which teams made so-called "priority" selections, and the rounds of the "General Draft" which followed. For the Preliminary round, each team wrote four names on a piece of paper, which were then submitted and announced prior to the start of the General Draft.[1] The priority selections were the most sought after players, consisting mostly of NHL veterans and highly touted prospects.
Twelve teams took part in the draft: the Calgary Broncos, Chicago Cougars, Dayton Aeros, Edmonton Oil Kings, Los Angeles Sharks, Miami Screaming Eagles, Minnesota Fighting Saints, New England Whalers, Winnipeg Jets, and three then-unnamed franchises based in New York (later the Raiders), Ontario (later the Ottawa Nationals) and Quebec City (later the Nordiques).
The Broncos folded within months, before the beginning of the season, and the negotiating rights to their picks were transferred to a new club: the Cleveland Crusaders. Similarly the Screaming Eagles never took to the ice, and their picks transferred to the Philadelphia Blazers. The Dayton Aeros moved to Houston before the playing season, and the Oil Kings changed their name to Alberta Oilers with the intent of splitting home games between Edmonton and Calgary.
Preliminary round
Calgary Broncos
Chicago Cougars
Dayton Aeros
Edmonton Oil Kings
Los Angeles Sharks
Miami Screaming Eagles
Minnesota Fighting Saints
New England Whalers
New York
Ontario
Quebec City
Winnipeg Jets
Regular rounds
Calgary Broncos
Rounds 1–10
| Player |
Position |
Nationality |
Team |
League |
| Carlyle, SteveSteve Carlyle |
D |
 Canada |
University of Alberta Golden Bears |
CIAU |
| Homenuke, RonRon Homenuke |
F |
Canada |
Calgary Centennials |
WCHL |
| Lonsberry, RossRoss Lonsberry |
LW |
Canada |
Philadelphia Flyers |
NHL |
| McMasters, JimJim McMasters |
F |
Canada |
Calgary Centennials |
WCHL |
| Mott, MorrisMorris Mott |
RW |
Canada |
Queen's University Golden Gaels |
CIAU |
| Pinder, GerryGerry Pinder |
RW |
Canada |
California Golden Seals |
NHL |
| Romanchych, LarryLarry Romanchych |
C |
Canada |
Dallas Black Hawks |
CHL |
| Sheppard, GreggGregg Sheppard |
C |
Canada |
Oklahoma City Blazers |
CHL |
| Walker, BrianBrian Walker |
C |
Canada |
Calgary Centennials |
WCHL |
| Watson, JimmyJimmy Watson |
D |
Canada |
Calgary Centennials |
WCHL |
Rounds 11–20
| Player |
Position |
Nationality |
Team |
League |
| Boehm, RonRon Boehm |
LW |
Canada |
Boston Braves |
AHL |
| Firsov, AnatoliAnatoli Firsov |
F |
 Soviet Union |
HC CSKA Moscow |
USSR |
| Golonka, JozefJozef Golonka |
F |
 Czechoslovakia |
SC Riessersee |
Bundesliga |
| Henning, LorneLorne Henning |
C |
Canada |
New Westminster Bruins |
WCHL |
| Krake, SkipSkip Krake |
C |
Canada |
Salt Lake Golden Eagles |
WHL |
| Lukowich, BernieBernie Lukowich |
F |
Canada |
New Westminster Bruins |
WCHL |
| Martyniuk, RayRay Martyniuk |
G |
Canada |
Columbus Golden Seals |
IHL |
| Rota, RandyRandy Rota |
LW |
Canada |
Nova Scotia Voyageurs |
AHL |
| Smith, DallasDallas Smith |
D |
Canada |
Boston Bruins |
NHL |
| Weir, StanStan Weir |
C |
Canada |
Medicine Hat Tigers |
WCHL |
Rounds 21–50
| Player |
Position |
Nationality |
Team |
League |
| Ablett, JeffJeff Ablett |
LW |
Canada |
Medicine Hat Tigers |
WCHL |
| Bell, WayneWayne Bell |
G |
Canada |
Omaha Knights |
CHL |
| Bialowas, DwightDwight Bialowas |
D |
Canada |
Regina Pats |
WCHL |
| Blinov, YuryYury Blinov |
F |
Soviet Union |
CSKA Moscow |
USSR |
| Bradley, LyleLyle Bradley |
C |
Canada |
Salt Lake Golden Eagles |
WHL |
| Braun, GaryGary Braun |
D |
Canada |
Toledo Hornets |
IHL |
| Brown, KenKen Brown |
G |
Canada |
Dallas Black Hawks |
CHL |
| Cardiff, JimJim Cardiff |
D |
Canada |
San Diego Gulls |
WHL |
| Kharlamov, ValeriValeri Kharlamov |
LW |
Soviet Union |
CSKA Moscow |
USSR |
| Dunn, DaveDave Dunn |
D |
Canada |
Seattle Totems |
WHL |
| Dyck, EdEd Dyck |
G |
Canada |
Vancouver Canucks |
NHL |
| Erickson, GrantGrant Erickson |
LW |
Canada |
Cleveland Barons |
AHL |
| Eysselt, JanJan Eysselt |
|
Czechoslovakia |
|
|
| Hart, GerryGerry Hart |
D |
Canada |
Fort Worth Wings |
CHL |
| Hejma, PetrPetr Hejma |
F |
Czechoslovakia/ West Germany |
Düsseldorfer EG |
Bundesliga |
| Hodgson, TedTed Hodgson |
RW |
Canada |
Salt Lake Golden Eagles |
WHL |
| Horbul, DougDoug Horbul |
LW |
Canada |
Calgary Centennials |
WCHL |
| Horesovsky, JosefJosef Horesovsky |
D |
Czechoslovakia |
|
|
| Ireland, KenKen Ireland |
C |
Canada |
New Westminster Bruins |
WCHL |
| Knibbs, DarrelDarrel Knibbs |
C |
Canada |
Muskegon Mohawks |
IHL |
| McDonough, AlAl McDonough |
RW |
Canada |
Pittsburgh Penguins |
NHL |
| McKay, RayRay McKay |
D |
Canada |
Cincinnati Swords |
AHL |
| McNeil, MurrayMurray McNeil |
LW |
Canada |
Cleveland Barons |
AHL |
| Moser, ErnieErnie Moser |
RW |
Canada |
Nelson Maple Leafs |
WIHL |
| Nedomansky, VaclavVaclav Nedomansky |
C |
Czechoslovakia |
HC Slovan Bratislava |
Czech. |
| Norrish, RodRod Norrish |
LW |
Canada |
Cleveland Barons |
AHL |
| Ketola, Veli-PekkaVeli-Pekka Ketola |
C |
 Finland |
Assat Pori |
SM-sarja |
| Sittler, DarrylDarryl Sittler |
C |
Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs |
NHL |
| Swarbrick, GeorgeGeorge Swarbrick |
RW |
Canada |
San Diego Gulls |
WHL |
| Watson, JoeJoe Watson |
D |
Canada |
Philadelphia Flyers |
NHL |
Rounds 51–70
| Player |
Position |
Nationality |
Team |
League |
| Clay, GrantGrant Clay | G | Canada | University of Manitoba | CIAU |
| Doll, WayneWayne Doll | G | Canada | Long Island Ducks | EHL |
| Frig, LenLen Frig | D | Canada | Dallas Black Hawks | CHL |
| Gustafson, KenKen Gustafson | C | Canada | Spokane Jets | WIHL |
| Hill, GeorgeGeorge Hill | C | Canada | Calgary Stampeders | PrHL |
| Jackson, LesLes Jackson | LW | Canada | New Westminster Bruins | WCHL |
| Johnston, MarshallMarshall Johnston | RW | Canada | California Golden Seals | NHL |
| Lindquist, Gunnar !Gunnar Lindquist | | | | |
| Meissner, BarrieBarrie Meissner | LW | Canada | Omaha Knights | CHL |
| Muller, Peter !Peter Muller | | | | |
| Morusyk, WayneWayne Morusyk | D | Canada | Oklahoma City Blazers | CHL |
| Pinder, TomTom Pinder | F | Canada | Saskatoon Blades | WCHL |
| Rycroft, AlAl Rycroft | C | Canada | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL |
| Schloder, AloisAlois Schloder | RW | West Germany | EV Landshut | Germany |
| Shaw, JimJim Shaw | G | Canada | Portland Buckaroos | WHL |
| Sidebottom, EdEd Sidebottom | D | Canada | Charlotte Checkers | EHL |
| Swetberge, Karl !Karl Swetberge | | | | |
| Willy, RonRon Willy | C | Canada | Saskatoon Quakers | PrHL |
| Wilson, RichardRichard Wilson | D | Canada | University of North Dakota | NCAA |
| Wright, JerryJerry Wright | C | Canada | Roanoke Valley Rebels | EHL |
|
Rounds 71+
| Player |
Position |
Nationality |
Team |
League |
| Amadio, DaveDave Amadio | D | Canada | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | WHL |
| Bannister, LeighLeigh Bannister | C | Canada | Flint Generals | IHL |
| Bonter, DaveDave Bonter | LW | Canada | Dayton Gems | IHL |
| Hay, BillBill Hay | C | Canada | Retired | |
| Heaney, RobRob Heaney | D | Canada | Dayton Gems | IHL |
| Howdle, HerbHerb Howdle | D | Canada | Oklahoma City Blazers | CHL |
| Maltsev, AleksanderAleksander Maltsev | C | Soviet Union | HC Dynamo Moscow | USSR |
| Mott, DarwinDarwin Mott | LW | Canada | Michigan Tech | NCAA |
| Petrov, VladimirVladimir Petrov | C | Soviet Union | HC CSKA Moscow | USSR |
| Stefaniw, MorrisMorris Stefaniw | C | Canada | Providence Reds | AHL |
| Swain, GarryGarry Swain | C | Canada | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL |
|
Footnotes
References
- Surgent, Scott Adam (1999). The Complete Historical and Statistical Reference to the World Hockey Association, 1972-1979 (4th ed.). Tempe, Arizona: Xaler Press. pp. 447–51. ISBN 0964477408.
- "The draft, round by round". The Globe and Mail (Toronto). February 14, 1972. p. S6.
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United States