1967 NHL Expansion Draft


The 1967 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 6, 1967, in the ballroom of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's six expansion teams for the 1967–68 season: the California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues.

Rules

As this ambitious expansion doubled the league's size from six to twelve teams, a large number of players were needed to fill the rosters of the new franchises. Almost all of the leading professional hockey players in North America were already under contract with the six existing franchises; therefore, the draft was established to equitably distribute players from the Original Six clubs to the new teams. Each expansion team was to select twenty players from the established clubs: two goaltenders and eighteen forwards and defensemen. Thus, a total of 120 players were selected.
The existing clubs were allowed to exclude a goaltender and eleven other players from eligibility in the draft by naming them to "protected" lists. Also excluded from the draft were Junior players, players who were young enough to play Junior but who were already playing professionally, and players sold to the minor league Western Hockey League and Central Professional Hockey League before June 1, 1966.
The draft began with the drawing of the draft order. Each of the new teams' names was placed on a paper ballot enclosed in a capsule, which was drawn from the bowl of the Stanley Cup by NHL President Clarence Campbell. Montreal Canadiens general manager Sam Pollock helped Campbell draw up the rules for the draft. This draft order was used in the first round to draft goaltenders. The order was then reversed in the second round, which was again specifically for goaltenders. The third round retained the second round's order, and in every subsequent round the draft order would rotate, such that the team that had picked first in the previous round would pick last in the following round while the other teams moved up to fill its place. Each expansion team had three minutes from the time of the previous selection to make its pick.
After each of the first, third, fourth, seventh and subsequent players lost by any of the established teams, the team in question chose one undrafted player that it had left unprotected and moved him onto their protected lists. Players who had played professionally for the first time in the 1966–67 season were ineligible from being picked until their respective team had filled their protected list with at least two goaltenders and eighteen other players.

Protected lists

Boston: goaltender - Gerry Cheevers; skaters - John Bucyk, Ted Green, Ed Westfall, Tom Williams, John McKenzie, Don Awrey, Ken Hodge, Phil Esposito, Fred Stanfield, Eddie Shack and Gary Doak. Among notable players who were initially unprotected but later added to the list as fills were Dallas Smith, Wayne Cashman, Eddie Johnston, Jean Pronovost, Ron Murphy, Glen Sather and Bob Leiter.
Chicago: goaltender - Denis DeJordy; skaters - Bobby Hull, Dennis Hull, Doug Jarrett, Chico Maki, Gilles Marotte, Pit Martin, Stan Mikita, Doug Mohns, Pierre Pilote, Ken Wharram and Pat Stapleton. Among notable players who were initially unprotected but later added to the list as fills were Eric Nesterenko, Wayne Maki and Dave Dryden.
Detroit: goaltender - Roger Crozier; skaters - Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Norm Ullman, Gary Bergman, Paul Henderson, Bruce MacGregor, Ted Hampson, Dean Prentice, Bert Marshall, Doug Roberts and Bob McCord. Among notable players who were initially unprotected but later added to the list as fills were Nick Libett, Howie Young, Gary Jarrett, Floyd Smith and Jim Watson.
Montreal: goaltender - Lorne Worsley; skaters - Jean Beliveau, Yvan Cournoyer, J. C. Tremblay, Jacques Laperriere, Ted Harris, Terry Harper, John Ferguson, Ralph Backstrom, Henri Richard, Gilles Tremblay and Bobby Rousseau. Among notable players who were initially unprotected but later added to the list as fills were Rogie Vachon, Claude Larose, Dick Duff, Carol Vadnais, Serge Savard, Danny Grant, Jacques Lemaire and Andre Boudrias.
New York: goaltender - Ed Giacomin; skaters - Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, Vic Hadfield, Phil Goyette, Arnie Brown, Bob Nevin, Jim Neilson, Harry Howell, Don Marshall, Orland Kurtenbach and Wayne Hillman. Among notable players who were initially unprotected but later added to the list as fills were Gilles Villemure, Red Berenson, Reggie Fleming, Gary Sabourin and Bob Plager.
Toronto: goaltender - Johnny Bower; skaters - Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Tim Horton, Larry Hillman, Bob Pulford, Jim Pappin, Marcel Pronovost, Mike Walton, Ron Ellis, Pete Stemkowski and Brian Conacher. Among notable players who were initially unprotected but later added to the list as fills were Al Smith, George Armstrong, Allan Stanley, Duane Rupp, Murray Oliver, Bronco Horvath, Don Cherry and Red Kelly.

Draft results

The draft began with the picking of the draft order. The Kings picked first, with the North Stars, Flyers, Penguins, Seals and Blues following in that order.
With the first pick in the draft the Kings chose future Hall of Fame goaltender Terry Sawchuk, backbone of the great Detroit Red Wings teams of the 1950s and fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Maple Leafs. The first skater chosen was center Gord Labossiere of the Canadiens, also by the Kings, as the 13th selection.
Commentators compared the draft to a rummage sale, with the Original Six losing only unnecessary if not unwanted players. Some of the expansion teams bolstered their rosters before the Draft by purchasing minor league teams outright, thus gaining the rights to the players on their rosters, such as the Springfield Indians of the American Hockey League by the Kings and the Quebec Aces of the AHL by the Flyers, while the North Stars purchased the rights to seven amateur members of the Canadian National Team from Toronto. A poll of minor league sportswriters and executives, following the draft, felt that Philadelphia had gotten the best of the selections and Los Angeles the worst, while the Boston Bruins were the hardest hit of existing clubs. Among the Bruins' players drafted were future Hall of Famer Bernie Parent and future All-Stars J. P. Parise, Poul Popiel, Wayne Connelly, Bill Goldsworthy, Gary Dornhoefer, Ron Schock and Wayne Rivers. It was considered that the Canadiens – reported to have made a number of backroom deals to avoid losing valued unprotected players – fared the best of the established clubs, keeping unprotected talent such as Claude Larose, Carol Vadnais, Serge Savard and Danny Grant.
One controversy arose from the retirement of Toronto star Red Kelly, who was expected to become the Kings' coach. As he was still under contract with the Maple Leafs, they had the rights to his services, but Leafs' general manager Punch Imlach insisted that the Kings use one of their picks to select him, and when this did not materialize, Imlach added Kelly to the Leafs' protected list, forcing the Kings to trade their 15th pick, Ken Block, for Kelly.
Bill Flett and Poul Popiel were the last players selected in the Draft to be active in the NHL, both playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1979–80 season, while Parent, playing in 551 NHL games had the longest career of any goaltender selected. Popiel was the last player chosen to be active in professional hockey, playing for the Muskegon Mohawks of the International Hockey League in 1982.
By contrast, Don Caley, the 2nd pick of St. Louis, played only a single game for the Blues, the only game of his NHL career. Career Black Hawk Bill Hay, the 11th pick of the Blues, retired before the Draft; nineteen other skaters played 20 or fewer NHL games after the Draft.
NHL All-Star
NHL All-Star and NHL All-Star Team
Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame

Round#PlayerPositionDrafted bySelected from
11GoaltenderLos Angeles KingsToronto Maple Leafs
12GoaltenderPhiladelphia FlyersBoston Bruins
13GoaltenderSt. Louis BluesChicago Black Hawks
14GoaltenderMinnesota North StarsNew York Rangers
15GoaltenderPittsburgh PenguinsDetroit Red Wings
16GoaltenderCalifornia SealsMontreal Canadiens
27GoaltenderLos Angeles KingsNew York Rangers
28GoaltenderMinnesota North StarsMontreal Canadiens
29GoaltenderPhiladelphia FlyersBoston Bruins
210GoaltenderPittsburgh PenguinsChicago Black Hawks
211GoaltenderCalifornia SealsToronto Maple Leafs
212GoaltenderSt. Louis BluesDetroit Red Wings
313CentreLos Angeles KingsMontreal Canadiens
314Left wingMinnesota North StarsMontreal Canadiens
315DefenceSt. Louis BluesMontreal Canadiens
316DefencePhiladelphia FlyersChicago Black Hawks
317CentrePittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers
318DefenceCalifornia SealsToronto Maple Leafs
419DefenceLos Angeles KingsDetroit Red Wings
420CentreMinnesota North StarsDetroit Red Wings
421DefencePhiladelphia FlyersBoston Bruins
422DefencePittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers
423DefenceCalifornia SealsToronto Maple Leafs
424DefenceSt. Louis BluesMontreal Canadiens
525CentreLos Angeles KingsToronto Maple Leafs
526DefenceMinnesota North StarsBoston Bruins
527Left wingPhiladelphia FlyersToronto Maple Leafs
528Left wingPittsburgh PenguinsToronto Maple Leafs
529Right wingCalifornia SealsNew York Rangers
530DefenceSt. Louis BluesToronto Maple Leafs
631Right wingLos Angeles KingsDetroit Red Wings
632DefenceMinnesota North StarsMontreal Canadiens
633Right wingPhiladelphia FlyersChicago Black Hawks
634Left wingPittsburgh PenguinsDetroit Red Wings
635CentreCalifornia SealsDetroit Red Wings
636DefenceSt. Louis BluesNew York Rangers
737DefenceLos Angeles KingsBoston Bruins
738Right wingMinnesota North StarsBoston Bruins
739ForwardPhiladelphia FlyersMontreal Canadiens
740DefencePittsburgh PenguinsDetroit Red Wings
741DefenceCalifornia SealsNew York Rangers
742CentreSt. Louis BluesBoston Bruins
843Right wingLos Angeles KingsDetroit Red Wings
844Left wingMinnesota North StarsDetroit Red Wings
845Left wingPhiladelphia FlyersToronto Maple Leafs
846DefencePittsburgh PenguinsMontreal Canadiens
847CentreCalifornia SealsChicago Black Hawks
848CentreSt. Louis BluesBoston Bruins
949CentreLos Angeles KingsNew York Rangers
950DefenceMinnesota North StarsDetroit Red Wings
951DefencePhiladelphia FlyersChicago Black Hawks
952Left wingPittsburgh PenguinsMontreal Canadiens
953CentreCalifornia SealsMontreal Canadiens
954CentreSt. Louis BluesDetroit Red Wings
1055Left wingLos Angeles KingsBoston Bruins
1056Left wingMinnesota North StarsChicago Black Hawks
1057CentrePhiladelphia FlyersMontreal Canadiens
1058Right wingPittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers
1059DefenceCalifornia SealsMontreal Canadiens
1060Right wingSt. Louis BluesBoston Bruins
1161Right wingLos Angeles KingsMontreal Canadiens
1162Right wingMinnesota North StarsBoston Bruins
1163DefencePhiladelphia FlyersBoston Bruins
1164CentrePittsburgh PenguinsBoston Bruins
1165Left wingCalifornia SealsBoston Bruins
1166CentreSt. Louis BluesChicago Black Hawks
1267CentreLos Angeles KingsMontreal Canadiens
1268Left wingMinnesota North StarsDetroit Red Wings
1269DefencePhiladelphia FlyersMontreal Canadiens
1270CentrePittsburgh PenguinsChicago Black Hawks
1271DefenceCalifornia SealsBoston Bruins
1272DefenceSt. Louis BluesToronto Maple Leafs
1373Left wingLos Angeles KingsNew York Rangers
1374DefenceMinnesota North StarsChicago Black Hawks
1375CentrePhiladelphia FlyersNew York Rangers
1376Left wingPittsburgh PenguinsDetroit Red Wings
1377Right wingCalifornia SealsToronto Maple Leafs
1378Right wingSt. Louis BluesDetroit Red Wings
1479Left wingLos Angeles KingsToronto Maple Leafs
1480Right wingMinnesota North StarsChicago Black Hawks
1481Right wingPhiladelphia FlyersBoston Bruins
1482CentrePittsburgh PenguinsBoston Bruins
1483DefenceCalifornia SealsChicago Black Hawks
1484Left wingSt. Louis BluesToronto Maple Leafs
1585DefenceLos Angeles KingsMontreal Canadiens
1586DefenceMinnesota North StarsDetroit Red Wings
1587CentrePhiladelphia FlyersBoston Bruins
1588Left wingPittsburgh PenguinsMontreal Canadiens
1589DefenceCalifornia SealsToronto Maple Leafs
1590CentreSt. Louis BluesBoston Bruins
1691Right wingLos Angeles KingsToronto Maple Leafs
1692CentreMinnesota North StarsNew York Rangers
1693Left wingPhiladelphia FlyersChicago Black Hawks
1694CentrePittsburgh PenguinsChicago Black Hawks
1695Left wingCalifornia SealsNew York Rangers
1696DefenceSt. Louis BluesToronto Maple Leafs
1797DefenceLos Angeles KingsNew York Rangers
1798CentreMinnesota North StarsNew York Rangers
1799DefencePhiladelphia FlyersDetroit Red Wings
17100CentrePittsburgh PenguinsMontreal Canadiens
17101Right wingCalifornia SealsChicago Black Hawks
17102Left wingSt. Louis BluesToronto Maple Leafs
18103Right wingLos Angeles KingsToronto Maple Leafs
18104Left wingMinnesota North StarsDetroit Red Wings
18105CentrePhiladelphia FlyersMontreal Canadiens
18106CentrePittsburgh PenguinsChicago Black Hawks
18107CentreCalifornia SealsToronto Maple Leafs
18108CentreSt. Louis BluesChicago Black Hawks
19109DefenceLos Angeles KingsDetroit Red Wings
19110CentreMinnesota North StarsChicago Black Hawks
19111Right wingPhiladelphia FlyersBoston Bruins
19112CentrePittsburgh PenguinsDetroit Red Wings
19113ForwardCalifornia SealsNew York Rangers
19114Left wingSt. Louis BluesToronto Maple Leafs
20115Right wingLos Angeles KingsNew York Rangers
20116Left wingMinnesota North StarsChicago Black Hawks
20117DefencePhiladelphia FlyersNew York Rangers
20118DefencePittsburgh PenguinsNew York Rangers
20119DefenceCalifornia SealsChicago Black Hawks
20120Right wingSt. Louis BluesNew York Rangers