NHL intra-league draft

The intra-league draft was created to help address the league’s competitive balance issues during the Original Six era, as the Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs were the only teams to win the Stanley Cup in the ten years preceding the draft’s inception.

[1] Eventually more players started being selected in the intra-league draft and, with the exception of 1967 when the NHL expanded in size from six to twelve teams, it was held every year through 1975.

[2] From 1956 until 1975, the intra-league draft was held in June during the NHL’s summer meetings.

A few days prior to the intra-league draft each NHL club would be required to turn in a list of players to protect from selection.

Players under a certain number of professional hockey seasons played and below a minimum number of NHL games played were exempt, as were amateur players NHL clubs owned the rights to.

The team losing the player would receive a cash payment set by the league before the draft.

[4] The 1955 NHL intra-league draft was to have taken place on September 7, 1955, however no meeting was held due to a lack of desirable players to select.

The Intra-League draft was permanently moved to the NHL’s summer meetings in June the following year.

Seven selections were made and twelve players total changed teams.

Eleven selections were made and 17 players total changed teams.

[36][37][38] The draft lasted a record 13 rounds due to a loophole exploited by Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach, who noticed there was no rule preventing a team from reclaiming a player it had dropped from its protection list for a previous selection.

[3][47] The Pittsburgh Penguins were not permitted to participate due to bankruptcy.