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 which was held on November 1971, 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
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Gibbs | D | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada |
Minnesota North Stars | NHL |
| Jim Harrison | C | Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |
| Dale Hoganson | D | Canada |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL |
| Jack Norris | G | Canada |
Seattle Totems | WHL |
Chicago Cougars
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stan Mikita | F | Canada |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL |
| Jerry Korab | D | Canada |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL |
| Jim McKenny | D | Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |
| Gary Smith | G | Canada |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL |
Dayton Aeros
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guy Trottier | RW | Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |
| Andre Hinse | LW | Canada |
Phoenix Roadrunners | WHL |
| Larry Lund | D | Canada |
Phoenix Roadrunners | WHL |
| Wayne Rutledge | G | Canada |
Salt Lake Golden Eagles | WHL |
Edmonton Oil Kings
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norm Ullman | C | Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |
| Bobby Clarke | C | Canada |
Philadelphia Flyers | NHL |
| Bruce MacGregor | C | Canada |
New York Rangers | NHL |
| Phil Myre | G | Canada |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL |
Los Angeles Sharks
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Dryden | G | Canada |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL |
| Gilbert Perreault | C | Canada |
Buffalo Sabres | NHL |
| Matt Ravlich | D | Canada |
Boston Bruins | NHL |
| Steve Sutherland | LW | Canada |
Port Huron Wings | IHL |
Miami Screaming Eagles
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bernie Parent | G | Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |
| Jude Drouin | C | Canada |
Minnesota North Stars | NHL |
| Derek Sanderson | C | Canada |
Boston Bruins | NHL |
| Bill White | D | Canada |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL |
Minnesota Fighting Saints
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Mahovlich | LW | Canada |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL |
| Mike Curran | G |  United States |
United States Olympic team | |
| Bill Goldsworthy | RW | Canada |
Minnesota North Stars | NHL |
| Dale Tallon | D | Canada |
Vancouver Canucks | NHL |
New England Whalers
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Sheehan | C | United States |
California Golden Seals | NHL |
| Eddie Johnston | G | Canada |
Boston Bruins | NHL |
| Rick Ley | D | Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |
| Larry Pleau | C | United States |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL |
New York
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerry Desjardins | G | Canada |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL |
| Dave Gardner | C | Canada |
Toronto Marlboros | OHA |
| Billy Harris | RW | Canada |
Toronto Marlboros | OHA |
| Steve Shutt | F | Canada |
Toronto Marlboros | OHA |
Ontario
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Favell | G | Canada |
Philadelphia Flyers | NHL |
| Dave Keon | C | Canada |
Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL |
| Brad Park | D | Canada |
New York Rangers | NHL |
| Eddie Shack | LW | Canada |
Buffalo Sabres | NHL |
Quebec City
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilles Villemure | G | Canada |
New York Rangers | NHL |
| Guy Lapointe | D | Canada |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL |
| Jacques Lemaire | F | Canada |
Montreal Canadiens | NHL |
| John McKenzie | RW | Canada |
Boston Bruins | NHL |
Winnipeg Jets
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Hull | LW | Canada |
Chicago Black Hawks | NHL |
| Ted Green | D | Canada |
Boston Bruins | NHL |
| Ted Irvine | LW | Canada |
New York Rangers | NHL |
| Ernie Wakely | G | Canada |
St. Louis Blues | NHL |
Regular rounds
Calgary Broncos
Rounds 1–10
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steve Carlyle | D | Canada |
University of Alberta Golden Bears | CIAU |
| Ron Homenuke | F | Canada |
Calgary Centennials | WCHL |
| Ross Lonsberry | LW | Canada |
Philadelphia Flyers | NHL |
| Jim McMasters | F | Canada |
Calgary Centennials | WCHL |
| Morris Mott | RW | Canada |
Queen's University Golden Gaels | CIAU |
| Gerry Pinder | RW | Canada |
California Golden Seals | NHL |
| Larry Romanchych | C | Canada |
Dallas Black Hawks | CHL |
| Gregg Sheppard | C | Canada |
Oklahoma City Blazers | CHL |
| Brian Walker | C | Canada |
Calgary Centennials | WCHL |
| Jimmy Watson | D | Canada |
Calgary Centennials | WCHL |
Rounds 11–20
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Boehm | LW | Canada |
Boston Braves | AHL |
| Anatoli Firsov | F |  Soviet Union |
HC CSKA Moscow | USSR |
| Jozef Golonka | F |  Czechoslovakia |
SC Riessersee | Bundesliga |
| Lorne Henning | C | Canada |
New Westminster Bruins | WCHL |
| Skip Krake | C | Canada |
Salt Lake Golden Eagles | WHL |
| Bernie Lukowich | F | Canada |
New Westminster Bruins | WCHL |
| Ray Martyniuk | G | Canada |
Columbus Golden Seals | IHL |
| Randy Rota | LW | Canada |
Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL |
| Dallas Smith | D | Canada |
Boston Bruins | NHL |
| Stan Weir | C | Canada |
Medicine Hat Tigers | WCHL |
Rounds 21–50
Rounds 51–70
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Clay | G | Canada | University of Manitoba | CIAU |
| Wayne Doll | G | Canada | Long Island Ducks | EHL |
| Len Frig | D | Canada | Dallas Black Hawks | CHL |
| Ken Gustafson | C | Canada | Spokane Jets | WIHL |
| George Hill | C | Canada | Calgary Stampeders | PrHL |
| Les Jackson | LW | Canada | New Westminster Bruins | WCHL |
| Marshall Johnston | RW | Canada | California Golden Seals | NHL |
| Gunnar Lindquist | ||||
| Barrie Meissner | LW | Canada | Omaha Knights | CHL |
| Peter Muller | ||||
| Wayne Morusyk | D | Canada | Oklahoma City Blazers | CHL |
| Tom Pinder | F | Canada | Saskatoon Blades | WCHL |
| Al Rycroft | C | Canada | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL |
| Alois Schloder | RW |  West Germany | EV Landshut | Germany |
| Jim Shaw | G | Canada | Portland Buckaroos | WHL |
| Ed Sidebottom | D | Canada | Charlotte Checkers | EHL |
| Karl Swetberge | ||||
| Ron Willy | C | Canada | Saskatoon Quakers | PrHL |
| Richard Wilson | D | Canada | University of North Dakota | NCAA |
| Jerry Wright | C | Canada | Roanoke Valley Rebels | EHL |
Rounds 71+
| Player | Position | Nationality | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Amadio | D | Canada | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | WHL |
| Leigh Bannister | C | Canada | Flint Generals | IHL |
| Dave Bonter | LW | Canada | Dayton Gems | IHL |
| Bill Hay | C | Canada | Retired | |
| Rob Heaney | D | Canada | Dayton Gems | IHL |
| Herb Howdle | D | Canada | Oklahoma City Blazers | CHL |
| Aleksander Maltsev | C | Soviet Union | HC Dynamo Moscow | USSR |
| Darwin Mott | LW | Canada | Michigan Tech | NCAA |
| Vladimir Petrov | C | Soviet Union | HC CSKA Moscow | USSR |
| Morris Stefaniw | C | Canada | Providence Reds | AHL |
| Garry Swain | C | Canada | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL |
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
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.