WHA Media Release, May 21, 1974 • Walt Marlow
Amid reports of player signings, front office alterations, team transfer, etc., WHA President Dennis Murphy announced that the league's first expansion draft will be held in Toronto May 29-31. Scene of the action will be the Four-Season Hotel.
The WHA's two new entries for the 1974-75 season, Phoenix and Indianapolis, will draft 15 and 20 players respectively on the morning of the 30th.
The drafting of Canadian juniors and American amateurs by the league's 15-member clubs will be conducted the following day.
All 12 existing WHA clubs will be permitted to protect two goaltenders and 14 skaters for the expansion draft. Protected lists were frozen as of May 15, and Phoenix and Indianapolis will be given a list of available players (those under WHA contract prior to or during the 1973-74 season) at 9 a.m. May 29.
Existing clubs are not required to protect newly signed National League or amateur players for the 1974-75 season.
No club will be required to give up more than four players, including one goaltender. Nor will any club be permitted to fill from their unprotected list when a player has been selected.
Cincinnati, which does not take up active residence in the WHA until the 1975-76 season, will not participate in the expansion draft. As last year, though, when the Stingers drafted and signed Dennis Sobchuk and Jacques Locas, they will again participate in the amateur draft.
Phoenix will get first choice in the expansion draft, while in the amateur selections, it will be Phoenix, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Michigan, Vancouver, San Diego (Jersey), Quebec, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto, New England, Minnesota and Houston in that order exclusive of traded draft choices.
Master of the draft will be WHA referee-in-chief Vern Buffey. Members of the draft committee include W.D. (Bill) Hunter of the Edmonton Oilers, Jack Kelley of the New England Whalers, and Ed Fitkin, assistant to the president. Final preparations for the draft will be made at a General Managers meeting on May 29 at 8 p.m.
