The WHA Draft

[BAuldie]

I read somewhere it was looking like either Vancouver or Cincinatti...

If you go here http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/teams.htm

It would appear as either Vancouver or Dallas

 

[HockeyMan9]

I'm kinda suprised Toronto hasn't selected Rick Nash, home town kid who's yet to sign a deal with a European team incase of a lockout.

 

[chris_dub]

If you go here http://www.worldhockeyassociation.net/teams.htm

It would appear as either Vancouver or Dallas

Dallas is already in the league & drafting.

 

[Pensfan86]

I want to see Wayne Gretzky get taken...that would soooo make my day.

 

[Duff88]

ROUND 15
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
113 Québec J.S. Damphousse G
114 Halifax Rory Fitzpatrick D
115 Detroit Chris Hajt D
116 Hamilton Sergei Zholtok C
117 Toronto Trevor Kidd G
118 Founders' Mike Glumac RW
119 Dallas Ross Lupashuk D
120 Florida Craig Adams RW
ROUND 16 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
121 Florida Matt Walker D
122 Dallas Peter Vandermeer D
123 Founders' Zac Parise C
124 Toronto Andy Delmore D
125 Hamilton John Gruden D
126 Detroit Beat Forster D
127 Halifax Donald Audette RW
128 Québec Eric Belanger LW
ROUND 17
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
129 Québec Patrick Bolleau D
130 Halifax Greg Krozler LW
131 Detroit Chad Weisman LW
132 Hamilton Cliff Ronning C
133 Toronto Luke Fellers D
134 Founders' Scott Upshall LW
135 Dallas Mike Green C
136 Florida Rikuh Hahl C
ROUND 18 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
137 Florida Trent Whitfeld LW
138 Dallas Casey Hankinson LW
139 Founders' Randy Powe LW
140 Toronto Steve Thomas LW
141 Hamilton Jan Hlavac LW
142 Detroit Semus Kotuk G
143 Halifax Jason Botterill LW
144 Québec Stephane Richer C
ROUND 19
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
145 Québec Marc Denis G
146 Halifax Steve Martins C
147 Detroit Greg Jacine RW
148 Hamilton Marc Bergevin D
149 Toronto David Oliver RW
150 Founders' Kevin Miller C
151 Dallas Craig Johnson LW
152 Florida Jason Williams RW
ROUND 20 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
153 Florida Brett McLean C/LW
154 Dallas Shane Willis RW
155 Founders' DJ Smith D
156 Toronto Burke Henry D
157 Hamilton Mike Keane RW
158 Detroit Jeremy Stevenson LW
159 Halifax Brian Helmer D
160 Québec Alin Nasreddine D
ROUND 21
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
161 Québec Martin Grenier D
162 Halifax Eric Fichaud G
163 Detroit Mike Schutte D
164 Hamilton Nolan Baungartner D
165 Toronto Shane Corson LW
166 Founders' Scott Perlerin LW
167 Dallas Mathew Kinch D
168 Florida Tyler Bouck LW
ROUND 22 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
169 Florida Brad Tapper RW
170 Dallas Nick Naumenko D
171 Founders' Mike Wilfon D
172 Toronto Jesse Wallin D
173 Hamilton Dave Lowry LW
174 Detroit Craig Anderson G
175 Halifax Landon Wilson RW
176 Québec Benoit Dusablon C

 

[Michael Morbid]

Hey this isn't Florida, It's Québec!! Where hockey lives and will lives forever! People will pay $60 to see the Nordiks if the Habs ain't playing, just as simple as that. A lot of people here in Québec like hockey in general but doesn't follow the Canadiens because they live in Québec and they are loyal Nordiques fans, this is the oppurtunity for them to get to the arena and cheer for a pro hockey team. There's not a lot of people who cares about the Q damnnit, It's a junior league!

Hey at least we have 2 NHL teams. Québec who?

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I don't know why people aren't more open-minded with the WHA. Sure, it's probably just a flash-in-the-pan but it could be fun to see it do well. And the NHL WOULD BENEFIT from even a little competition, that's for sure. Give it time, at least.

As for Tucker's rant about Quebec, I am not sure if you're old enough to remember the Quebec Nordiques but they had MORE than just local players on their roster. They had the foresight to bring over all 3 Stastny brothers, and later did a nice job of bringing in Russian players like Kamensky, Kovalenko, Gusarov and Mylnikov...obviously some panned out better than others. Also, Joe Sakic became a demi-God in the province despite his B.C. background, Swedes Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg were also appreciated for their talent, and EVEN Ontario boys like Adam Foote and Owen Nolan became Nordiques--imagine that. If you look at the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts, they have boasted several english-speaking and American players (like Josh Hennessy, for example) over the years.

In fact, EVEN Eric Lindros would have become a star in the capital of Quebec, because people in Quebec just want stars to call their own. Besides, how come every big star who emanates from the province of Ontario is rumored to be on the Toronto Maple Leafs' radar? Lindros, Thornton, obviously Roberts, Nieuwendyk et al. Having a local flavor to your roster is not restricted to being a Quebec thing. It's the nature of pro sports, and it's not bad business if you ask me.

So, not sure what your beef was with regards to the WHA's Quebec entry selecting Quebec players but it doesn't hold a lot of water. The purpose of the WHA draft is to select players whom you THINK might want to take a chance with your fledgling league. How is drafting local guys a bad thing? It's a LONG way before these teams have to start thinking about winning hockey games, division titles, the overall championship, etc. Right now, it's all about gaining momentum and interest in the league, and putting fannies in the seats.

 

[Stajan_Steen]

117 Toronto Trevor Kidd G

165 Toronto Shane Corson LW

What kind of cruel joke is this?

 

[hab 4ever]

Hey at least we have 2 NHL teams. Québec who?

I have nothing against Florida but come on, you can't compare hockey in Florida to hockey anywhere in Canada. Just look at what happened in the Stanley Cup Finals when there were more fans waiting for the Flames'arrival after they loss than people at the Bolts'party.... You might have nhl teams, but there is no way Florida is a better hockey land than Québec City or Winipeg... The Nordiques were last in the elague for three yeras and still, there weren't many empty seats in Le Colisée... Not very comparable to what is currently happening in numerous southern states of the US....

 

[Tucker316*]

I don't know why people aren't more open-minded with the WHA. Sure, it's probably just a flash-in-the-pan but it could be fun to see it do well. And the NHL WOULD BENEFIT from even a little competition, that's for sure. Give it time, at least.

As for Tucker's rant about Quebec, I am not sure if you're old enough to remember the Quebec Nordiques but they had MORE than just local players on their roster. They had the foresight to bring over all 3 Stastny brothers, and later did a nice job of bringing in Russian players like Kamensky, Kovalenko, Gusarov and Mylnikov...obviously some panned out better than others. Also, Joe Sakic became a demi-God in the province despite his B.C. background, Swedes Mats Sundin and Peter Forsberg were also appreciated for their talent, and EVEN Ontario boys like Adam Foote and Owen Nolan became Nordiques--imagine that. If you look at the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts, they have boasted several english-speaking and American players (like Josh Hennessy, for example) over the years.

In fact, EVEN Eric Lindros would have become a star in the capital of Quebec, because people in Quebec just want stars to call their own. Besides, how come every big star who emanates from the province of Ontario is rumored to be on the Toronto Maple Leafs' radar? Lindros, Thornton, obviously Roberts, Nieuwendyk et al. Having a local flavor to your roster is not restricted to being a Quebec thing. It's the nature of pro sports, and it's not bad business if you ask me.

So, not sure what your beef was with regards to the WHA's Quebec entry selecting Quebec players but it doesn't hold a lot of water. The purpose of the WHA draft is to select players whom you THINK might want to take a chance with your fledgling league. How is drafting local guys a bad thing? It's a LONG way before these teams have to start thinking about winning hockey games, division titles, the overall championship, etc. Right now, it's all about gaining momentum and interest in the league, and putting fannies in the seats.

...

I'm 24. So yeah, I know about the nordiques quite well thank you. All I'm saying is quebec has this complex with taking french players. That's all I'm saying.
**** the french media complains when gainey gets rid of the crap which just happens to be most of the french floaters. Bout time we got a guy who doesn't buckle down under pressure.

 

[Duff88]

I think we should keep it about the WHA draft because it's starting to get off-topic...

 

[LaLaLaprise]

Hey at least we have 2 NHL teams. Québec who?

Thats a dumb argument. Have you checked and seen how much those 2 teams are worth??

 

[hab 4ever]

...

I'm 24. So yeah, I know about the nordiques quite well thank you. All I'm saying is quebec has this complex with taking french players. That's all I'm saying.
**** the french media complains when gainey gets rid of the crap which just happens to be most of the french floaters. Bout time we got a guy who doesn't buckle down under pressure.

I understand your point but I don't know how selecting local guys is a complex....
It happens everywhere, in every sports, even in the NBA and NFL, where teams like to get players whom played college football or b-ball in the same state (ex : Houston going after Aaron gleen (texas) and also, at some point, Memphis wanted to acquire Penny Hardaway 2 years ago in a deal involving Swift, simply because Penny was such a huge star in memphis ...). BTW, you should notice that it is not only a question of getting french players but Quebecers... Guys like Stock(West Island) and Reid (Kirkland) where selected early by the Nordiks. It's a french thing, simply a team looking for players who will represent their province. Local boys might be tempted to play home and that's just a good point since many players could leave for Europe ...

 

[Michael Morbid]

I have nothing against Florida but come on, you can't compare hockey in Florida to hockey anywhere in Canada. Just look at what happened in the Stanley Cup Finals when there were more fans waiting for the Flames'arrival after they loss than people at the Bolts'party.... You might have nhl teams, but there is no way Florida is a better hockey land than Québec City or Winipeg... The Nordiques were last in the elague for three yeras and still, there weren't many empty seats in Le Colisée... Not very comparable to what is currently happening in numerous southern states of the US....

I'm not saying Florida is a better hockey land cause it's not. Hockey is Canada's sport, i'm just tired of how hockey in Florida is always bad mouthed. Some of us are actual hockey fans down here.

 

[LaLaLaprise]

I'm not saying Florida is a better hockey land cause it's not. Hockey is Canada's sport, i'm just tired of how hockey in Florida is always bad mouthed. Some of us are actual hockey fans down here.

Yeah and a lot of you are good fans, but there are also a large majority of fairweather fans.

You cant expect to be taken seriously when some CHL teams out draw the Panthers.

 

[ALF AmericanLionsFan]

Rosa is going to be a friggin' beast if this league ever starts up. Rosa-Gomez-Hull would be fun to watch!

Rosa signed with an Russian Super League team I thought?

 

[ALF AmericanLionsFan]

I think it was a smart move for Detroit. If Heatley wants to play hockey and be able to deal with his off the ice problems a flight from Detroit to Atlanta is only a couple of hours. I doubt he wants oversea if this thing goes to court.

As for Perezhogin, hey it might be the only place in North America he can play.

I would think Perezhogin would rather play back home under the circumstances.

 

[Buffaloed]

It would have been more productive for the WHA to skip the free agent draft and leave these players as free agents; free to negotiate and sign with any team. A league with no players shouldn't be putting up barriers. The entry draft makes sense, but this free agent draft is foolish.

 

[Lowetide]

It would have been more productive for the WHA to skip the free agent draft and leave these players as free agents; free to negotiate and sign with any team. A league with no players shouldn't be putting up barriers. The entry draft makes sense, but this free agent draft is foolish.

I think they've already done that, and somewhere in the bowels of this draft are a few guys they'll actually sign. Michael Henrich and Scott Ferguson from the Oilers system are certainly candidates, and there are many others.

The other thing of course is that the WHA got publicity from today's draft, and that is more important than anyone actually taken today.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Yeah and a lot of you are good fans, but there are also a large majority of fairweather fans.

You cant expect to be taken seriously when some CHL teams out draw the Panthers.

I disagree with that last statement. Taking ticket prices and performance into account, those CHL teams that outdrew the Panthers last year were definitely offering better bang for the buck. And that's the bottom line, here. Sports is still entertainment to the fan, first and foremost.

What exactly did Panthers fans have to cheer about last year? To see whether or not Luongo got killed on the ice by flying galvanized rubber? To see whether or not Mike Keenan and Rick Dudley would be placed in an octogon, winner take all???

In pro sports, you have to win. In relatively new markets, where other events take away from the fan's entertainment dollars, it's even more critical. The Panthers have been badly run for several years now, so it's hard to put the blame on fans for staying away.

Funny how Central Florida used to have the same problems just a little while ago.

 

[LaLaLaprise]

I disagree with that last statement. Taking ticket prices and performance into account, those CHL teams that outdrew the Panthers last year were definitely offering better bang for the buck. And that's the bottom line, here. Sports is still entertainment to the fan, first and foremost.

What exactly did Panthers fans have to cheer about last year? To see whether or not Luongo got killed on the ice by flying galvanized rubber? To see whether or not Mike Keenan and Rick Dudley would be placed in an octogon, winner take all???

In pro sports, you have to win. In relatively new markets, where other events take away from the fan's entertainment dollars, it's even more critical. The Panthers have been badly run for several years now, so it's hard to put the blame on fans for staying away.

Funny how Central Florida used to have the same problems just a little while ago.

That is exactly what i mean by fairweather. TRUE hockey cities support their team No matter how bad they suck.

I am not harping on the Panthers or anything, i dont care if there are only 9000 people there a night but you cant be classified as a true hockey area until you follow your team regardless of how well they do.

I dont want to stir up a debate.

 

[Seabass]

Trying to get back on topic, Toronto took Jamie Hodson in the 26th round and dealt him, but of course details are nowhere to be found.

 

[Duff88]

ROUND 23
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
177 Québec Steve Brule RW
178 Halifax Martin Soonnberg LW
179 Detroit Ryan Ready LW
180 Hamilton Pascal Rheume C
181 Toronto Bates Battaglia LW
182 Founders' Sean Pronger C/LW
183 Dallas Tom Lawson G
184 Florida Mikhail Kuleshov LW
ROUND 24 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
185 Florida Gord Dwyer LW
186 Dallas Curtis Foster D
187 Founders' Mathieu Chouinrd G
188 Toronto Brendan Witt D
189 Hamilton Andreas Lilja D
190 Detroit Chris Hartsberg RW
191 Halifax Chris Taylor C
192 Québec Marc-Andre Bergeron D
ROUND 25
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
193 Québec Daniel Corso LW
194 Halifax Eric Healey LW
195 Detroit Ted Drury C
196 Hamilton Travis Brigley LW
197 Toronto Sandy McCarthy RW
198 Founders' Ray Schultz D
199 Dallas Mike Mottau D
200 Florida Jason Wiemer LW
ROUND 26 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
201 Florida Steven Webb RW
202 Dallas Brian Lundbohm C/LW
203 Founders' Mike Picard LW
204 Toronto Jamie Hodson (TRADED) G
205 Hamilton Dan Blackburn G
206 Detroit Bubba Berenzweig D
207 Halifax Paul Healey RW
208 Québec Frederick Cloutier RW
ROUND 27
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
209 Québec Damion Surma LW
210 Halifax Ken Belanger LW
211 Detroit Craig Nills LW
212 Hamilton Michel Grosek RW
213 Toronto John Tripp RW
214 Founders' Steve Gainey LW
215 Dallas Kyle Vanwig RW
216 Florida Bill Lindsay LW
ROUND 28 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
217 Florida Bill Muckalt RW
218 Dallas Scott Barney C
219 Founders' Kevin Dallman D
220 Toronto Jason Chimera LW
221 Hamilton Mike Farrell D
222 Detroit Patrick Traverse D
223 Halifax Scott Clemmenson G
224 Québec Guillaume Lefebvre LW
ROUND 29
SEL TEAM NAME
POS
225 Québec Sylvain Blouin LW
226 Halifax Alex Henry D
227 Detroit Serge Payer C
228 Hamilton Bobby Allen D
229 Toronto Nathan Smith C
230 Founders' Steve McLaren D
231 Dallas Todd Harvey RW
232 Florida Andre Roy LW
ROUND 30 SEL TEAM NAME
POS
233 Florida Paul Elliott D
234 Dallas Scott Parker RW
235 Founders' Jeff Paul D
236 Toronto James Patrick D
237 Hamilton Dan McLean C
238 Detroit Mike Brown LW
239 Halifax Brad Moran C
240 Québec Ramzi Adid LW

 

[Anfernic]

Im very surprised that quebec didn't select nhl stars like Tangay, Lecavalier, Ribeiro


Or Quebec city native like Eric Chouinard, Patrice Bergeron, Alexanre Picard, Steve Bernier, M-A Pouliot, Dany Roussin

 

[Belgican]

They selected Ribeiro as their franchise player just before the draft, each team could select one.