1984 Draft - Did you Know

[Steve Shutt]

I never knew the Canadiens made three significant trades leading up to the 1984 Draft. I think they already had Mario Lemieux on their radar as early as 1981 and were betting on Hartford having a weak season and potentially the #1 Overall pick. Curious if the second trade was an attempt to package #5 & #8 to tempt Pittsburgh into moving #1. The franchise was forever changed with the acqusitions Svoboda, Corson, Richer and Roy

The first one took place three years earlier on Dec 21st, 1981.

Montreal Traded:
Pierre Larouche
MTL 1984 first round pick (#11-Sylvain Cote)
MTL 1985 third round pick (#58-Bruce Racine)

Whalers Traded:
HAR 1984 first round pick (#5-Petr Svoboda)
HAR 1984 second round pick (#26-Brian Benning)
HAR 1985 third round pick (#47-Rocky Dundas)

The second one took place at the draft on June 9th, 1984.

Montreal Traded:
Rick Wamsley
MTL 1984 second round pick (#26-Brian Benning)
MTL 1984 second round pick (#32-Tony Hrkac)
MTL 1984 third round pick (#53-Robert Dirk)

Blues Traded
STL 1984 first round pick (#8-Shayne Corson)
STL 1984 second round pick (#29-Stephane Richer)

The third trade took place on Nov 4th, 1983

Montreal Traded:
Robert Picard

Winnipeg Traded:
WIN 1984 third round pick (#51-Patrick Roy)

Click to read more...

 

[LaP]

Wait are you saying acquiring picks can help you build a winning core.

IMPOSSIBRU.

 

[Chili]

The Blues had petitioned the league for extra draft picks in the 1984 draft. They didn't make any draft picks in 1983 so they were looking to acquire some extra ones. Their ownership didn't send anyone in 1983 because of a dispute with the league over moving the team to Saskatoon. I was there and it was strange to look down at their empty team table in 1983. They had already traded their 1st and 2nd round picks.

Emile Francis apparently offered all of the Whalers 1984 picks for the chance to draft #66 but Eddie Johnston wisely was hanging on to that pick.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Also taken in the 5th round, 95th overall, was Gerry Johansson.

He is now the agent of Price, Gallagher & Slaf. And his agency also represents Dach, although Johansson isn't Dach's agent.



Also, their final pick of the draft in the 12th round, 240th overall, was Troy Crosby, the father of a certain Sidney Crosby.

 

[Dick Duff]

I never knew the Canadiens made three significant trades leading up to the 1984 Draft. I think they already had Mario Lemieux on their radar as early as 1981 and were betting on Hartford having a weak season and potentially the #1 Overall pick. Curious if the second trade was an attempt to package #5 & #8 to tempt Pittsburgh into moving #1. The franchise was forever changed with the acqusitions Svoboda, Corson, Richer and Roy

The first one took place three years earlier on Dec 21st, 1981.

Montreal Traded:
Pierre Larouche
MTL 1984 first round pick (#11-Sylvain Cote)
MTL 1985 third round pick (#58-Bruce Racine)

Whalers Traded:
HAR 1984 first round pick (#5-Petr Svoboda)
HAR 1984 second round pick (#26-Brian Benning)
HAR 1985 third round pick (#47-Rocky Dundas)

The second one took place at the draft on June 9th, 1984.

Montreal Traded:
Rick Wamsley
MTL 1984 second round pick (#26-Brian Benning)
MTL 1984 second round pick (#32-Tony Hrkac)
MTL 1984 third round pick (#53-Robert Dirk)

Blues Traded
STL 1984 first round pick (#8-Shayne Corson)
STL 1984 second round pick (#29-Stephane Richer)

The third trade took place on Nov 4th, 1983

Montreal Traded:
Robert Picard

Winnipeg Traded:
WIN 1984 third round pick (#51-Patrick Roy)

Wow! All of that makes me feel soooo old. I remember well - not only those trades, and the draft - but especially the almost spycraft efforts at getting Svoboda to Montreal.

 

[Scriptor]

Wow! All of that makes me feel soooo old. I remember well - not only those trades, and the draft - but especially the almost spycraft efforts at getting Svoboda to Montreal.

Mario Lemieux, from Verdun, was my girlfriend's (the year of the draft) cousin. Got to visit Mario and congratulate him. The Penguins had bought him a car as a gift, an Excalibur type model (old time car in a modern Chassis).

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Wow! All of that makes me feel soooo old. I remember well - not only those trades, and the draft - but especially the almost spycraft efforts at getting Svoboda to Montreal.

I feel older.

 

[DAChampion]

I've read that the Habs offered all of their draft picks for Mario. It was turned down, but I hindsight that's the most successful draft in Habs history.

 

[HuGort]

I never knew the Canadiens made three significant trades leading up to the 1984 Draft. I think they already had Mario Lemieux on their radar as early as 1981 and were betting on Hartford having a weak season and potentially the #1 Overall pick. Curious if the second trade was an attempt to package #5 & #8 to tempt Pittsburgh into moving #1. The franchise was forever changed with the acqusitions Svoboda, Corson, Richer and Roy

The first one took place three years earlier on Dec 21st, 1981.

Montreal Traded:
Pierre Larouche
MTL 1984 first round pick (#11-Sylvain Cote)
MTL 1985 third round pick (#58-Bruce Racine)

Whalers Traded:
HAR 1984 first round pick (#5-Petr Svoboda)
HAR 1984 second round pick (#26-Brian Benning)
HAR 1985 third round pick (#47-Rocky Dundas)

The second one took place at the draft on June 9th, 1984.

Montreal Traded:
Rick Wamsley
MTL 1984 second round pick (#26-Brian Benning)
MTL 1984 second round pick (#32-Tony Hrkac)
MTL 1984 third round pick (#53-Robert Dirk)

Blues Traded
STL 1984 first round pick (#8-Shayne Corson)
STL 1984 second round pick (#29-Stephane Richer)

The third trade took place on Nov 4th, 1983

Montreal Traded:
Robert Picard

Winnipeg Traded:
WIN 1984 third round pick (#51-Patrick Roy)

I remember it well. That's was exciting draft on tv. First draft ever televised, Mario draft. Savard brought out Svoboda to everybody suprise. At the time he was going to be next great defenseman. Then Habs trade up to get Corson.

On top of that, we just came off miraculously run in playoffs. Squeezed into the playoffs. A major upset of Bruins in opening round. Bruins had blown everybody away in regular season. Next round it was the good Friday massacre. A very emotional series. 1984 was great time to be Canadiens fan. It was a fore runner for next 10 years. In which we win 2 two Cups. Went deep in playoffs 10 straight years. Only team to ever do it. A new hero was born in Patrick Roy.

 

[slybel]

I remember Pittsburgh tanking for the 1st...

 

[Habs13]

Those were some great trades - sure, hindsight is 20/20 but damn! Those drafted players are the players I grew up watching!

 

[BenchBrawl]

I've read that the Habs offered all of their draft picks for Mario. It was turned down, but I hindsight that's the most successful draft in Habs history.

In terms of hitting homeruns maybe, but the most successful draft is 1971 by virtue of getting both Guy Lafleur and Larry Robinson IMO. We got our legendary superstar and a bonafide, Top 10 all-time franchise defenseman.

I don't think any team ever drafted two players of that caliber in the same draft.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

I remember it well. That's was exciting draft on tv. First draft ever televised, Mario draft. Savard brought out Svoboda to everybody suprise. At the time he was going to be next great defenseman. Then Habs trade up to get Corson.

On top of that, we just came off miraculously run in playoffs. Squeezed into the playoffs. A major upset of Bruins in opening round. Bruins had blown everybody away in regular season. Next round it was the good Friday massacre. A very emotional series. 1984 was great time to be Canadiens fan. It was a fore runner for next 10 years. In which we win 2 two Cups. Went deep in playoffs 10 straight years. Only team to ever do it. A new hero was born in Patrick Roy.

...Steve Penney's miracle run, I believe...good times...

 

[HuGort]

...Steve Penney's miracle run, I believe...good times...

The '84 Draft is on YouTube. Just looked it up. Worth watching. First time I seen it in 38 years. Never had a VHS at time. Dick Irvin and Dave Hodge doing the broadcast Don Whitman on the floor. They did good job.

 

[rabbit4949]

I've read that the Habs offered all of their draft picks for Mario. It was turned down, but I hindsight that's the most successful draft in Habs history.

Are you sure that was not for Potvin?

 

[HuGort]

I've read that the Habs offered all of their draft picks for Mario. It was turned down, but I hindsight that's the most successful draft in Habs history.

That's what the rumour was.

 

[dcyhabs]

...Steve Penney's miracle run, I believe...good times...

I looked back at his stats and they were unspectacular even for the time. Going from Sevigny and Wamsley to Penney was a good change, though, and bringing in Roy finally made them a good team for the first time since Dryden left. The team had a stellar defence that masked how bad the goaltending was in the early eighties.

 

[HuGort]

I looked back at his stats and they were unspectacular even for the time. Going from Sevigny and Wamsley to Penney was a good change, though, and bringing in Roy finally made them a good team for the first time since Dryden left. The team had a stellar defence that masked how bad the goaltending was in the early eighties.

Jacques Lemaire threw the trap on Boston and Quebec in playoffs too. Teams weren't use to seeing it

 

[WG]

Another great Habs related story from that draft. This was definitely a different era vs today where the teams know everything about the prospects.

Canucks at #10 OV pick Mario's minor hockey teammate, and future Hab, JJ Daigneault. JJ is a bit slow coming up to greet the Canucks brass, understandable since he was on crutches and as the story goes THE CANUCKS DID NOT KNOW JJ WAS INJURED WHEN THEY DRAFTED HIM.

At any rate, good to know that the sleepy look JJ always offered behind the Habs bench was just his natural condition.