WHA Amateur Draft - First Overall Draft Picks

First Overall Draft Picks

Year Player Position Amateur Club Pro Team
1973 Bob Neely Defenceman Peterborough (OHA) Chicago Cougars
1974 Pat Price Defenceman Saskatoon (WCHL) Vancouver Blazers
1975 Claude Larose Forward Sherbrooke (QMJHL) Cincinnati Stingers
1976 Blair Chapman Forward Saskatoon (WCHL) Edmonton Oilers
1977 Scott Campbell Defenceman London (OHA) Houston Aeros

Of the five first overall draft picks selected in the WHA Amateur Draft, Bob Neely and Blair Chapman never reported to the league. Pat Price was an expensive flop who defaulted to the New York Islanders after only one year in Vancouver. Only Scott Campbell and Claude Larose had reasonably active and prosperous WHA careers.

The WHA draft was discontinued in 1977 as the league decided to attempt to directly sign young hockey players as free agents in an effort to lure them away from the lower salaries in the NHL.

World Hockey Association
Teams
  • Alberta Oilers
  • Baltimore Blades
  • Birmingham Bulls
  • Calgary Broncos
  • Calgary Cowboys
  • Chicago Cougars
  • Cincinnati Stingers
  • Cleveland Crusaders
  • Dayton Aeros
  • Denver Spurs
  • Edmonton Oilers
  • Houston Aeros
  • Indianapolis Racers
  • Los Angeles Sharks
  • Miami Screaming Eagles
  • Michigan Stags
  • Minnesota Fighting Saints
  • New England Whalers
  • Jersey Knights
  • New York Golden Blades
  • New York Raiders
  • Ottawa Civics
  • Ottawa Nationals
  • Philadelphia Blazers
  • Phoenix Roadrunners
  • Quebec Nordiques
  • San Diego Mariners
  • San Francisco Sharks
  • Toronto Toros
  • Vancouver Blazers
  • Winnipeg Jets
Trophies
and awards
  • Avco World Trophy
  • Gary L. Davidson Award / Gordie Howe Trophy
  • Bill Hunter Trophy
  • Lou Kaplan Trophy
  • Ben Hatskin Trophy
  • Dennis A. Murphy Trophy
  • Paul Deneau Trophy
  • Howard Baldwin Trophy / Robert Schmertz Memorial Trophy
  • WHA Playoff MVP
  • Related articles: List of WHA seasons
  • WHA Amateur Draft
  • NHL–WHA merger


Read more about this topic:  WHA Amateur Draft

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