View source for 1991 NHL dispersal and expansion drafts

{{Short description|Player selection draft}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more footnotes needed|date=January 2013}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2013}}
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{{Infobox sports draft
| name        = 1991 NHL dispersal and expansion drafts
| image       = 
| alt         = 
| caption     = 
| logo        = 
| logosize    = 
| date        = May 30, 1991
| time        = 
| location    = 
| network     = 
| teams       = 
| first       = 
| most        = 
| fewest      = 
| first_round = 
| overall     = 
| league   = [[National Hockey League]]
| expansion_teams  = [[San Jose Sharks]]
| expansion_season = [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]]
| merging_teams = [[Minnesota North Stars]]
| prev        = [[1979 NHL expansion draft|1979]]
| next        = [[1992 NHL expansion draft|1992]]
}}
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 NHL season|1991–92 season]], the [[San Jose Sharks]], first from the [[Minnesota North Stars]] pool of players, and then from the rest of the NHL pool of players (to re-stock the North Stars' roster and to fill out the Sharks' roster).

==Background==
In 1990, as a result of slipping attendance, [[George Gund III|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 denied their request, with other owners wishing for the market to be used to draw a lucrative expansion fee. 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 a consortium consisting of [[Howard Baldwin]], [[Morris Belzberg]], and [[Norman Green]] for $31.5 million. A series of disputes led to the team being completely controlled by Green, who would eventually move the team to [[Dallas Stars|Dallas]] after the [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93 season]].

George and Gordon Gund had previously owned the [[California Golden Seals]]/[[Cleveland Barons (NHL)|Cleveland Barons]] franchise, before merging that team with (and ultimately assuming ownership of) the North Stars in 1978. By spinning off the Sharks from the North Stars, it effectively undid the 13-year merger between the two franchises.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nhl/news/pht-time-machine-1991-dispersal-draft-and-birth-of-the-sharks|title=PHT Time Machine: 1991 dispersal draft and birth of the Sharks|last=Gretz|first=Adam|publisher=NBC Universal|date=August 24, 2018|website=NBCSports.com|accessdate=June 16, 2024}}</ref>

==Rules==
'''Dispersal draft:''' before the draft, the North Stars protected 14 skaters and two goaltenders who had played at least 50 NHL games by the end of the [[1989–90 NHL season|1989–90 season]]. From the unprotected North Stars players (but excluding [[1990 NHL entry draft|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.''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | #
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | Player
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | 1990–91 team
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | League
|-
| 1. || [[Shane Churla]] ([[Winger (ice hockey)|RW]]) || rowspan="4" | [[Minnesota North Stars]] || rowspan="4" | [[NHL]]
|-
| 2. || [[Brian Hayward]] ([[Goaltender|G]]) 
|-
| 3. || [[Neil Wilkinson (ice hockey)|Neil Wilkinson]] ([[defenceman (ice hockey)|D]]) 
|-
| 4. || [[Rob Zettler]] (D) 
|-
| 5. || [[Ed Courtenay]] (RW) || rowspan="10" |[[Kalamazoo Wings (1974–2000)|Kalamazoo Wings]]|| rowspan="10" |[[International Hockey League (1945-2001)|IHL]]
|-
| 6. || [[Kevin Evans (ice hockey)|Kevin Evans]] ([[Winger (ice hockey)|LW]]) 
|-
| 7. || [[Link Gaetz]] (D) 
|-
| 8. || [[Dan Keczmer]] (D) 
|-
| 9. || [[Dean Kolstad]] (D) 
|-
|10. || [[Peter Lappin]] (RW) 
|-
|11. || [[Pat MacLeod]] (D) 
|-
|12. || [[Mike McHugh]] (LW) 
|-
|13. || [[Jarmo Myllys]] (G) 
|-
|14. || [[J. F. Quintin]] (LW) 
|-
|15. || [[Scott Cashman]] (G) || [[Boston University]] || [[Hockey East]]
|-
|16. || [[Murray Garbutt]] ([[centre (ice hockey)|C]]) || [[Spokane Chiefs|Spokane]] || [[Western Hockey League|WHL]]
|-
|17. || [[Rob Gaudreau]] (RW) || [[Providence College]] || Hockey East
|-
|18. || [[Artūrs Irbe|Arturs Irbe]] (G) || [[Dinamo Riga (original)|Dynamo Riga]] || [[Soviet Championship League|Soviet]]
|-
|19. || [[Shaun Kane]] (D) || Providence College || Hockey East
|-
|20. || [[Larry Olimb]] (D) || [[University of Minnesota]] || [[Western Collegiate Hockey Association|WCHA]]
|-
|21. || [[Tom Pederson]] (D) || University of Minnesota || WCHA
|-
|22. || [[Bryan Schoen]] (G) || [[University of Denver]] || WCHA
|-
|23. || [[John Weisbrod]] (C) || [[Harvard]] || [[ECAC Hockey|ECAC]]
|-
|24. || [[Doug Zmolek]] (D) || University of Minnesota || WCHA
|}
<ref name=NHL>Official Guide and Record Book p. 168</ref>

==Expansion draft results==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | #
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | Player
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | Drafted from
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" | Drafted by
|-
| 1. || [[Jeff Hackett]] ([[Goaltender|G]]) || [[New York Islanders]] || [[San Jose Sharks]]
|-
| 2. || [[Rob Ramage]] ([[defenceman (ice hockey)|D]]) || [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] || [[Minnesota North Stars]]
|-
| 3. || [[Jayson More]] (D) || [[Montreal Canadiens]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 4. || [[Dave Babych]] (D) || [[Hartford Whalers]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 5. || [[Rick Lessard]] (D) || [[Calgary Flames]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 6. || [[Allen Pedersen]] (D) || [[Boston Bruins]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 7. || [[Bob McGill]] (D) || [[Chicago Blackhawks]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 8. || [[Charlie Huddy]] (D) || [[Edmonton Oilers]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 9. || [[Tim Kerr]] ([[forward (hockey)|F]]) || [[Philadelphia Flyers]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 10. || [[Kelly Kisio]] (F) || [[New York Rangers]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 11. || [[Jeff Madill]] ([[Winger (ice hockey)|RW]]) || [[New Jersey Devils]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 12. || [[Randy Gilhen]] ([[centre (ice hockey)|C]]) || [[Pittsburgh Penguins]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 13. || [[David Bruce (ice hockey)|David Bruce]] ([[Winger (ice hockey)|LW]]) || [[St. Louis Blues]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 14. || [[Rob Murray]] (C) || [[Washington Capitals]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 15. || [[Greg Paslawski]] (RW) || [[Buffalo Sabres]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 16. || [[Tyler Larter]] (F) || [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|Winnipeg Jets]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 17. || [[Bengt-Åke Gustafsson|Bengt-Ake Gustafsson]] (F) || [[Detroit Red Wings]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 18. || [[Jim Thomson (ice hockey b. 1965)|Jim Thomson]] (RW) || [[Los Angeles Kings]] || Minnesota North Stars
|-
| 19. || [[Craig Coxe]] (C) || [[Vancouver Canucks]] || San Jose Sharks
|-
| 20. || [[Guy Lafleur]] (RW) || [[Quebec Nordiques]] || Minnesota North Stars
|}
<ref name=NHL/>

==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 NHL season|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 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, was traded back to Quebec for [[Alan Haworth (ice hockey)|Alan Haworth]]; Lafleur retired before the 1991–92 season began.

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 (1945–2001)|International Hockey League]]. The Blades won the IHL Championship, the [[Turner 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 (1974–2000)|Kalamazoo Wings]].

==See also==
* [[1991 NHL entry draft]]
* [[1991 NHL supplemental draft]]
* [[1991–92 NHL season]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* 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)
* {{cite book |last=The National Hockey League |title=The NHL Official Guide and Record Book 1991–92 |year=1991 |isbn=0-920445-19-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle00nati_1/page/168 168] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/nationalhockeyle00nati_1/page/168 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1991x.html 1991 NHL expansion draft player stats] at [http://www.hockeydb.com The Internet Hockey Database]
* [http://www.sharkspage.com/draft.html Sharkspage.com draft history]
* [https://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]
* [https://groups.google.com/group/rec.sport.hockey/browse_frm/thread/79cd7c8cd1c17d1f Usenet post listing players selected in Expansion and Dispersal Drafts]

{{NHL drafts}}
{{1991–92 NHL season by team}}
{{Minnesota North Stars}}
{{San Jose Sharks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dispersal Draft}}
[[Category:1991–92 NHL season|Draft]]
[[Category:Minnesota North Stars]]
[[Category:San Jose Sharks]]
[[Category:NHL expansion drafts|1991 NHL Dispersal and Expansion Drafts]]