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Mike Gartner got drafted but not Gretzky?

Beniersgeron

Beniersgeron

Release the Kraken!
Mar 22, 2002
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So I just randomly checking Mike Gartner out and was noticing he was drafted 4th overall by the Capitals back in 1979 despite being in WHA? So how come no one could do the same with Gretzky?

Im pretty sure Im missing something and so Im here to learn.
 
Quatre Vingt Treize said:
Gretzky only 18 years old in 1979. It was 19 year old draft.
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True that the 1979 draft was the first to accept under 20 but no 18 years old yet, but I think they made an exception for the 18 years old that played a game in the WHA. That why Messier was drafted 48 overall in the 1979 drafts while being just 8 days older.

People avoided Gretzky, probably because the owners made a deal with the Oilers to not touch him (in exchange they would enter the NHL and draft last in the first round (still got Lowe)). That contract could easily been voided like the hundreds of others that did and probably meant nothing in this context, legally wise (who would have enforced it and how ? , has the team he signed with did not exist anymore, from a league that did not exist anymore... The league had to convince the WHA to become part of the nhl and pay a 6 millions entry fee, so they gave them things in exchange (some players list protection, first round draft, etc.... it included for the Oilers to keep Gretzky).

Considering the team that would drafted him (the Rockies) it was easy to make such deal, Gretzky would have probably refused to play for them so if everyone told them that they would not be aggressive Lindros style to get him they would not have much motivation. It would have been easy for the big teams to bully the little Rockies into accepting this and the big teams that decided things lost nothing, has they would not have been the one with a chance to draft him anyway.

That would be my theory.
 
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The other owners should have pushed harder to make Gretzky go through the draft but they just kinda let it happen and honor the personal services contract. I guess the universality of the draft was only about a decade old at that point so there maybe was not the same fundamental sense of justice feeling attached to it. No way that’d be allowed now.
 
WarriorofTime said:
The other owners should have pushed harder to make Gretzky go through the draft
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What would have been their motivation (has Gretzky would have been certain to go first overall and not to them anyway, has it was not some lottery like in 2005 I do not think) ? I do not imagine they would have needed to push hard if they wanted , what the oilers do outside the NHL in the WHA less world..., but what is there to gain for them ?

The first overall team had a giant amount of interest in making it happen and I imagine pushed "hard" with their very limited means, but how long the Rockies were able to speak with the other owners on an expensive conference call in those days ?
 
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MadLuke said:
What would have been their motivation (has Gretzky would have been certain to go first overall and not to them anyway, has it was not some lottery like in 2005 I do not think) ? I do not imagine they would have needed to push hard if they wanted , what the oilers do outside the NHL in the WHA less world..., but what is there to gain for them ?

The first overall team had a giant amount and I imagine pushed hard, but how long the Rockies were able to speak with the other owners on an expensive conference call in those days ?
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True, not like they knew the Oilers were going to be stacked at the time.
 
MadLuke said:
True that the 1979 draft was the first to accept under 20 but no 18 years old yet, but I think they made an exception for the 18 years old that played a game in the WHA. That why Messier was drafted 48 overall in the 1979 drafts while being just 8 days older.

People avoided Gretzky, probably because the owners made a deal with the Oilers to not touch him (in exchange they would enter the NHL and draft last in the first round (still got Lowe)). That contract could easily been voided like the hundreds of others that did and probably meant nothing in this context, legally wise (who would have enforced it and how ? , has the team he signed with did not exist anymore, from a league that did not exist anymore... The league had to convince the WHA to become part of the nhl and pay a 6 millions entry fee, so they gave them things in exchange (some players list protection, first round draft, etc.... it included for the Oilers to keep Gretzky).

Considering the team that would drafted him (the Rockies) it was easy to make such deal, Gretzky would have probably refused to play for them so if everyone told them that they would not be aggressive Lindros style to get him they would not have much motivation. It would have been easy for the big teams to bully the little Rockies into accepting this and the big teams that decided things lost nothing, has they would not have been the one with a chance to draft him anyway.

That would be my theory.
Click to expand...
Expansion teams were allowed to protect 2 I remember. Imagine they protected Gretzky
 
Quatre Vingt Treize said:
Expansion teams were allowed to protect 2 I remember. Imagine they protected Gretzky
Click to expand...
Yes, draft rule that made it possible for teams to protect skater was the deal to make sure the Oilers could keep Gretzky, there was more explicit one for the legends to not have to go back with their ex-nhl teams they hated (Hull-Howe were not protected, but the league accepted to not void their contract I think)

Edmonton has exercised its priority picks by protecting goalies Dave Dryden and Ed Mio and skaters Wayne Gretzky and Bengt-Ake Gustafsson. The Oilers also have made deals with Los Angeles to keep Blair MacDonald in Edmonton as well as with Philadelphia Flyers for the rights to protect Ron Chipperfield.

So maybe, the contract was irrelevant, Rockies having first draft pick was irrelevant and even Gretzky was irrelevant, maybe without him there still a protection system for 4 player per team... and all the talk around this has been non-sensical, it is hard to imagine an expansion of the sorts with just zero protection mechanism and once you have one, obviously it will be used for Gretzky by the Oilers.

It could easily have been all empty talk and just hockey-conspiration drama... the fact the Oilers did burn 1/4 of their protection slot on #99 do not indicate he was under any special status and would have been open to the draft otherwise....​
 
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MadLuke said:
Yes, draft rule that made it possible for teams to protect skater was the deal to make sure the Oilers could keep Gretzky, there was more explicit one for the legends to not have to go back with their ex-nhl teams they hated (Hull-Howe were not protected, but the league accepted to not void their contract I think)

Edmonton has exercised its priority picks by protecting goalies Dave Dryden and Ed Mio and skaters Wayne Gretzky and Bengt-Ake Gustafsson. The Oilers also have made deals with Los Angeles to keep Blair MacDonald in Edmonton as well as with Philadelphia Flyers for the rights to protect Ron Chipperfield.

So maybe, the contract was irrelevant, Rockies having first draft pick was irrelevant and even Gretzky was irrelevant, maybe without him there still a protection system for 4 player per team... and all the talk around this has been non-sensical, it is hard to imagine an expansion of the sorts with just zero protection mechanism and once you have one, obviously it will be used for Gretzky by the Oilers.

It could easily have been all empty talk and just hockey-conspiration drama...​
Click to expand...
Alright, look like we got an answer here :) thanks you
 
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