(Redirected from 1991 NHL Dispersal Draft)The '1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts' were held via telephone conference call on
May 30,
1991. The drafts took place to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the
1991-92 season, the
San Jose Sharks.
In
1990, as a result of slipping attendance,
George and
Gordon Gund, the owners of the
Minnesota North Stars, petitioned the NHL for permission to relocate their team to the
San 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 franchise to be located in the Bay Area, which would become the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks' roster would be created mostly from players off the Minnesota roster, with the rest of it filled in by an expansion draft. In addition, the North Stars' roster would be replenished by the expansion draft as well.
The Gunds would assume ownership of the Sharks. This left the North Stars to be taken over by a new ownership team,
Howard Baldwin and
Morris Belzberg; a series of disputes led the team being sold to
Norman 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
1989-1990 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 and
June 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 considersations on
May 30,
1991
★ Rob Murray, selected by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft, was traded to Winnipeg for a seventh-round pick in the
1991 NHL Entry Draft on
May 31,
1991
★ Greg Paslawski, selected by San Jose in the Expansion Draft, was traded to Quebec for
Tony Hrkac on
May 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, on
June 3,
1991
★ Dave Babych, selected by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft, was traded to Vancouver for
Tom Kurvers on
June 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 for
Todd Elik on
June 22,
1991
★ Dan Keczmer, selected by San Jose in the Dispersal Draft, was traded to Hartford for
Dean Evason on
October 2,
1991
★ Guy Lafleur, selected by Minnesota in the Expansion Draft, retired before the 1991-92 season began
See also
★
1991 NHL Entry Draft
★
1991 NHL Supplemental Draft
★
1991-92 NHL season
References
★
[1] Sharkspage.com draft history
★
[2] Usenet post quoting from "Rink Report", the official San Jose Sharks newsletter, dated October 30, 1990
★
[3] 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)