NHL waiver draft



The NHL waiver draft was an annual draft held by the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1977 to 2003. A reworked version of the NHL intra-league draft, the waiver draft was created to help address the league's competitive balances issues and the financial issues some of the expansion teams added in the preceding ten years were undergoing. It was not held during the 1979–80 and 1991–92 seasons due to the 1979 merger with the World Hockey Association and the 1991 NHL dispersal and expansion drafts, respectively. It was discontinued as a result of the collective bargaining agreement that was reached to end the 2004–05 NHL lockout. Over the course of 25 waiver drafts, 231 selections were made and 240 players total changed teams.

Rules
The waiver draft was held within a week of the start of the regular season. A few days prior to the waiver draft each NHL club would be required to turn in a list of players to protect from selection. First-year players were exempt from selection, but in later editions of the waiver draft this exemption was changed to players under a certain number of professional hockey seasons played and below a minimum number of NHL games played.

The order of the waiver draft was the reverse of the previous season's standings, the first round always being limited to non-playoff teams. Once a team claimed an unprotected player from another team, that team would be required to drop a player from their protection list and the other team's choice of compensation would be a cash payment (a sliding scale varying from player to player) or claiming the dropped player.

The number of players a team could lose in the waiver draft was set at three (later two), which would increase by the number of claims made against other teams. By default, team's could only lose a maximum of one goaltender, unless they opted to offer more than one.

The waiver draft concluded when a round was completed with no selections by any team.

1977
The 1977 NHL waiver draft was held on October 10, 1977. Three selections were made. Protection lists were released prior to the draft.

1978
The 1978 NHL waiver draft was held on October 9, 1978. Five selections were made and six players total changed teams. Protection lists were released three days prior to the draft.

1980
The 1980 NHL waiver draft was held on October 8, 1980. Five selections were made. Protection lists were released a day prior to the draft.

1981
The 1981 NHL waiver draft was held on October 5, 1981. 13 selections were made. Protection lists were released two days prior to the draft.

1982
The 1982 NHL waiver draft was held on October 4, 1982. Seven selections were made and nine players total changed teams. Protection lists were released three days prior to the draft.

1983
The 1983 NHL waiver draft was held on October 3, 1983. Eleven selections were made. Protection lists were released two days prior to the draft.

1984
The 1984 NHL waiver draft was held on October 9, 1984. Nine selections were made and ten players total changed teams. Protection lists were released four days prior to the draft.

1985
The 1985 NHL waiver draft was held on October 7, 1985. Nine selections were made. Protection lists were released three days prior to the draft.

1986
The 1986 NHL waiver draft was held on October 6, 1986. Seven selections were made. Protection lists were released three days prior to the draft.

1987
The 1987 NHL waiver draft was held on October 5, 1987. 15 selections were made and 17 players total changed teams.

1988
The 1988 NHL waiver draft was held on October 3, 1988. 18 selections were made.

1989
The 1989 NHL waiver draft was held on October 2, 1989. Eight selections were made. Protection lists were released prior to the draft.

1990
The 1990 NHL waiver draft was held on October 1, 1990. Eight selections were made.

1992
The 1992 NHL waiver draft was held on October 4, 1992. Eight selections were made.

1993
The 1993 NHL waiver draft was held on October 3, 1993. Six selections were made. Protection lists were released prior to the draft.

1994
The 1994 NHL waiver draft was held on January 18, 1995. Due to the 1994–95 NHL lockout, the waiver draft was postponed until January. 17 selections were made. Protection lists were released prior to the draft.

1995
The 1995 NHL waiver draft was held on October 2, 1995. Eight selections were made.

1996
The 1996 NHL waiver draft was held on September 30, 1996. Nine selections were made. Protection lists were released prior to the draft.

1997
The 1997 NHL waiver draft was held on September 28, 1997. Nine selections were made. Protection lists were released prior to the draft.

1998
The 1998 NHL waiver draft was held on October 5, 1998. Nine selections were made. Protection lists were released two days prior to the draft.

1999
The 1999 NHL waiver draft was held on September 27, 1999. Ten selections were made. Protection lists were released prior to the draft.

2000
The 2000 NHL waiver draft was held on September 29, 2000. Five selections were made. Protection lists were released two days prior to the draft.

2001
The 2001 NHL waiver draft was held on September 28, 2001. Eights selections were made and nine players total changed teams. Protection lists were released two days prior to the draft.

2002
The 2002 NHL waiver draft was held on October 4, 2002. Six selections were made. Protection lists were released two days prior to the draft.

2003
The 2003 NHL waiver draft was held on October 3, 2003. 18 selections were made and 20 players total changed teams. Protection lists were released two days prior to the draft.