- 1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts
The 1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts were held via telephone conference call on
May 30 ,1991 . The dispersal draft took place to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the 1991–92 season, theSan Jose Sharks , first from theMinnesota North Stars pool of players. An expansion draft was then held from the NHL pool of players. Both San Jose and Minnesota would participate.In 1990, as a result of slipping attendance, George and
Gordon Gund , the owners of theMinnesota North Stars , petitioned the NHL for permission to relocate their team to theSan Francisco Bay Area . The NHL, however, wishing to maintain a presence in Minnesota, denied their request. As a compromise, the league agreed to award the Gund brothers a new NHL expansion franchise to be located in the Bay Area, which would become the San Jose Sharks. The Gunds would sell the North Stars to an NHL-approved purchaser. One of the conditions of sale and expansion deal was that the Sharks would have the right to draft players from the North Stars organization. After that draft, the North Stars' roster would be replenished by the expansion draft as well.The Gunds paid $50 million for the Sharks franchise. They sold the North Stars to
Howard Baldwin andMorris Belzberg for $31.5 million. A series of disputes led to the team being sold toNorman Green , who would eventually move the team to Dallas after the 1992–93 season.Rules
Dispersal Draft: Before the draft, the North Stars selected 14 skaters and two goaltenders who had played at least 50 NHL games by the end of the 1989–90 season. These players were protected. From the unprotected North Stars players (but excluding 1990 draft picks), the Sharks selected 14 skaters and two goaltenders. Up to three Shark selections could have been unsigned North Stars draft choices, while another three could have been players signed between
May 2 andJune 15 ,1990 .After San Jose had chosen 14 skaters and two goaltenders from Minnesota, the teams would take turns choosing from the pool of unclaimed players until the Sharks roster reached thirty players.
Expansion Draft: The other 20 teams in the league were allowed to protect two goaltenders and 16 skaters. The Sharks and North Stars would take turns selecting from the pool of unprotected players until each had chosen ten players. 20 total players would be selected, one from each franchise.
Dispersal Draft results
"The Sharks selected 24 players from the North Stars."
Expansion Draft results
Post-draft
Not all of the players selected by the Sharks and North Stars in these drafts stayed with their new teams for long. Among players moved before the start of the 1991–92 season were the following:
*Tim Kerr, selected by San Jose in the Expansion Draft, was traded to the New York Rangers for
Brian Mullen and future considerations onMay 30 ,1991 ,
*Rob Murray, selected by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft, was traded to Winnipeg for a seventh-round pick in the1991 NHL Entry Draft onMay 31 ,1991 ,
*Greg Paslawski, selected by San Jose in the Expansion Draft, was traded to Quebec forTony Hrkac onMay 31 ,1991 ,
*Shane Churla, selected by San Jose in the Dispersal Draft, was traded back to Minnesota for Kelly Kisio, whom the North Stars had selected in the Expansion Draft, onJune 3 ,1991 ,
*Dave Babych, selected by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft, was traded to Vancouver forTom Kurvers onJune 22 ,1991 ,
*Charlie Huddy, Randy Gilhen and Jim Thomson, all drafted by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft, were traded along with a fourth-round pick in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft to Los Angeles forTodd Elik onJune 22 ,1991 ,
*Dan Keczmer, selected by San Jose in the Dispersal Draft, was traded to Hartford forDean Evason onOctober 2 ,1991 ,
*Guy Lafleur, selected by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft, retired before the 1991–92 season began.As with most other Expansion Drafts, the majority of the players selected did not have lengthy NHL careers; many of them ended up in the minor leagues. San Jose's original minor league affiliate was the
Kansas City Blades of the International Hockey League. The Blades won the IHL Championship, theTurner Cup , in 1992, and a majority of their players were under contract to San Jose. In fact, many of those players were under contract with the North Stars the previous year and played for a rival IHL team, the Kalamazoo Wings.ee also
*
1991 NHL Entry Draft
*1991 NHL Supplemental Draft
*1991–92 NHL season References
* [http://www.sharkspage.com/draft.html] Sharkspage.com draft history
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.hockey/browse_thread/thread/7545d11726ab6dd2/299c02f4e9cc0bc6] Usenet post quoting from "Rink Report", the official San Jose Sharks newsletter, dated October 30, 1990
* [http://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.hockey/browse_frm/thread/79cd7c8cd1c17d1f] Usenet post listing players selected in Expansion and Dispersal Drafts
* Chicago Tribune Newspaper Chicago, IL. May 10, 1990. pg. 3 (NHL wire reports)
* Chicago Tribune Newspaper Chicago, IL. Aug 25, 1990. pg. 2 (NHL wire reports)
* Chicago Tribune Newspaper Chicago, IL. Oct 23, 1990. pg. 4 (NHL wire reports)
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