Saturday, November 30, 2013

1990 NHL Waiver Draft

The 1990 Waiver Draft was held on October 1. The rules were the same as they were before except for the new provision that any player traded in the four weeks before the draft could not be reacquired by the club that traded him in the following season. This new rule was added to prevent teams from 'stashing' players on another team as the Flyers and Jets had done with Pete Peeters and Keith Acton in 1989.

PlayerPicked byPicked fromPlayer dropped
from protected list
Cash or claim?
Round 1
Wayne Van DorpQuebec NordiquesChicago Blackhawks???$50,000
Randy GreggVancouver CanucksEdmonton Oilers???$15,000
Bengt-Åke GustafssonDetroit Red WingsWashington Capitals???cash
Round 2
Shawn AndersonQuebec NordiquesWashington Capitals???cash
Mario MaroisSt. Louis BluesQuebec NordiquesHarold Snepstscash
Round 3
Aaron BrotenQuebec NordiquesMinnesota North Stars???$10,000
Rod BuskasLos Angeles KingsPittsburgh Penguins???$10,000
Bob BassenSt. Louis BluesChicago BlackhawksMario Maroiscash

The Canucks' choice of (Dr.) Randy Gregg in the first round was a... curious one. Gregg had declared that he would retire from the game of hockey after winning his fifth and final Stanley Cup with the Oilers. He hadn't filed his retirement papers with the league but made it known that any team that chose him in the waiver draft would be wasting a pick. His home town was Edmonton, he was completing his residency in Edmonton; he didn't want to live anywhere or do anything else than to practice medicine in Edmonton. This was the third time he had declared his retirement, and he intended it to be his last. The Canucks picked him anyway, just as they had picked Behn Wilson in the 1988 Waiver Draft. It took over a year of negotiating and very generous remuneration to convince Dr. Gregg to lace up the skates one last time. He played 21 regular season and seven playoff games with the Canucks in 1991-92, after which he retired for the fourth and final time from the game of hockey.

The Red Wings' choice of Bengt Gustafsson was another bizarre one. Gustafsson left the Capitals in 1989 and returned to his native Sweden. He wanted to raise his kids in Sweden. He had absolutely no desire to return to North America and play in the NHL but the Red Wings picked him anyway. They lost him to the Sharks in the 1991 Expansion Draft, and just as he promised Gustafsson never played professional hockey in North America again.

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