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.

Drafts

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

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Paul Woods Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens cash 2 Dave Forbes Washington Capitals Boston Bruins cash 3 Wayne Thomas New York Rangers Toronto Maple Leafs cash

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Pierre Bouchard Washington Capitals Montreal Canadiens cash 2 Larry Giroux St. Louis Blues Detroit Red Wings cash 3 Pierre Plante New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings cash 4 Jim Lorentz Detroit Red Wings Buffalo Sabres cash 2 5 Mike Korney New York Rangers Montreal Canadiens claim: Dan Newman

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Yvon Vautour Colorado Rockies New York Islanders cash 2 John Wensink Quebec Nordiques Boston Bruins cash 3 Rick Smith Detroit Red Wings Boston Bruins cash 4 Curt Brackenbury Edmonton Oilers Quebec Nordiques cash 5 Colin Campbell Vancouver Canucks Edmonton Oilers cash

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Craig Levie Winnipeg Jets Montreal Canadiens cash 2 John Wensink Colorado Rockies Quebec Nordiques cash 3 Mike McDougal Hartford Whalers New York Rangers cash 4 Terry Murray Washington Capitals Philadelphia Flyers cash 5 Ron Delorme Vancouver Canucks Colorado Rockies cash 6 Yvon Lambert Buffalo Sabres Montreal Canadiens cash 7 Al Sims Los Angeles Kings Hartford Whalers cash 8 Gary Edwards St. Louis Blues Edmonton Oilers cash 2 9 Serge Savard Winnipeg Jets Montreal Canadiens cash 10 Rob McClanahan Hartford Whalers Buffalo Sabres cash 11 John Bednarski Pittsburgh Penguins Buffalo Sabres cash 3 12 Trevor Johansen Los Angeles Kings St. Louis Blues cash 4 13 Jeff Brubaker Montreal Canadiens Hartford Whalers cash

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Murray Brumwell New Jersey Devils Minnesota North Stars cash 2 Jack Carlson St. Louis Blues Minnesota North Stars cash 3 Doug Lecuyer Pittsburgh Penguins Winnipeg Jets cash 4 Bill Baker New York Rangers St. Louis Blues claim: Tim Bothwell 2 5 Carol Vadnais New Jersey Devils New York Rangers claim: Graeme Nicolson 3 6 Dave Hutchison New Jersey Devils Washington Capitals cash 4 7 Bob Hoffmeyer Edmonton Oilers Philadelphia Flyers cash

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Grant Mulvey Pittsburgh Penguins Chicago Black Hawks cash 2 Mike Crombeen Hartford Whalers St. Louis Blues cash 3 Don Nachbaur Los Angeles Kings Edmonton Oilers cash 4 Terry Johnson St. Louis Blues Quebec Nordiques cash 5 Mark Renaud Buffalo Sabres Hartford Whalers cash 6 Jean Hamel Montreal Canadiens Quebec Nordiques cash 2 7 Mike Zuke Hartford Whalers St. Louis Blues cash 8 Dwight Schofield St. Louis Blues Montreal Canadiens cash 9 Jeff Brubaker Calgary Flames Montreal Canadiens cash 10 John Van Boxmeer Quebec Nordiques Buffalo Sabres cash 3 11 Bob Crawford Hartford Whalers St. Louis Blues cash

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Wayne Babych Pittsburgh Penguins St. Louis Blues cash 2 Dave Pichette New Jersey Devils St. Louis Blues cash 3 Jeff Brubaker Toronto Maple Leafs Edmonton Oilers claim: Terry Martin 4 Wally Weir Hartford Whalers Quebec Nordiques cash 5 Craig Levie St. Louis Blues Minnesota North Stars cash 6 Andre Dore New York Rangers Quebec Nordiques cash 7 Billy Carroll Edmonton Oilers New York Islanders cash 2 8 Bruce Crowder Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins cash 9 Dave Lumley Hartford Whalers Edmonton Oilers cash

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Willy Lindstrom Pittsburgh Penguins Edmonton Oilers cash 2 Randy Velischek New Jersey Devils Minnesota North Stars cash 3 Brent Peterson Vancouver Canucks Buffalo Sabres cash 4 Randy Boyd New York Islanders Chicago Black Hawks cash 5 Dwight Schofield Washington Capitals St. Louis Blues cash 2 6 Mike Blaisdell Pittsburgh Penguins New York Rangers cash 7 Dave Langevin Minnesota North Stars New York Islanders cash 3 8 Dan Frawley Pittsburgh Penguins Chicago Black Hawks cash 4 9 Craig Levie Calgary Flames St. Louis Blues cash

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.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Bob Bourne Los Angeles Kings New York Islanders cash 2 Clark Gillies Buffalo Sabres New York Islanders cash 2 3 Mal Davis Los Angeles Kings Buffalo Sabres cash 4 Wilf Paiement Buffalo Sabres New York Rangers cash 3 No selections during round 4 5 Pat Hughes St. Louis Blues Buffalo Sabres cash 6 Gord Sherven Hartford Whalers Edmonton Oilers cash 7 John Blum Washington Capitals Boston Bruins cash

1987 The 1987 NHL waiver draft was held on October 5, 1987. 17 selections were made and 19 players total changed teams.

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Kevin Maguire Buffalo Sabres Toronto Maple Leafs cash 2 Reijo Ruotsalainen New Jersey Devils Edmonton Oilers cash 3 Randy Boyd Vancouver Canucks New York Islanders cash 4 Al Tuer Minnesota North Stars Edmonton Oilers cash 5 Charlie Simmer Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins cash 2 6 Risto Siltanen New Jersey Devils Quebec Nordiques cash 3 No selections during round 4 7 Tim Tookey Los Angeles Kings Philadelphia Flyers cash 8 Glen Cochrane Chicago Blackhawks Vancouver Canucks cash 9 Bill Root St. Louis Blues Hartford Whalers claim: Doug Wickenheiser 10 Willi Plett Boston Bruins New York Rangers cash 5 11 Ed Hospodar Buffalo Sabres Philadelphia Flyers claim: David Fenyves 12 Jack O'Callahan New Jersey Devils Chicago Blackhawks cash 13 Doug Wickenheiser Vancouver Canucks Hartford Whalers claim: Brent Peterson 14 Stu Kulak Quebec Nordiques New York Rangers claim: Richard Zemlak 6 15 Richard Zemlak Minnesota North Stars New York Rangers cash 16 Paul Fenton Los Angeles Kings New York Rangers 17 Mark Lamb Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers

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

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Stewart Gavin Minnesota North Stars Hartford Whalers cash 2 Behn Wilson Vancouver Canucks Chicago Blackhawks cash 3 Steve Dykstra Pittsburgh Penguins Edmonton Oilers cash 4 Craig Redmond New York Rangers Edmonton Oilers cash 2 5 Tom Martin Minnesota North Stars Hartford Whalers cash 6 Risto Siltanen Vancouver Canucks New Jersey Devils cash 7 Jay Caufield Pittsburgh Penguins Minnesota North Stars cash 3 8 Andy Brickley Boston Bruins New Jersey Devils cash 9 Ken Hammond Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings cash 4 10 Ken Leiter Minnesota North Stars New York Islanders cash 11 Dave Hannan Pittsburgh Penguins Edmonton Oilers claim: Dave Hunter 12 Dave Hunter Winnipeg Jets Edmonton Oilers cash 5 13 Jim Hofford Los Angeles Kings Buffalo Sabres cash 14 Steve Smith Buffalo Sabres Calgary Flames cash 15 Doug Sulliman Philadelphia Flyers New Jersey Devils cash 16 Doug Smith Edmonton Oilers Buffalo Sabres cash 6 17 Brad Marsh Toronto Maple Leafs Philadelphia Flyers cash 18 Dale DeGray Los Angeles Kings Toronto Maple Leafs cash

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

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Greg Adams Quebec Nordiques Vancouver Canucks cash 2 Dave Hannan Toronto Maple Leafs Pittsburgh Penguins cash 3 Moe Mantha Jr. Winnipeg Jets Philadelphia Flyers cash 4 Kent Nilsson New Jersey Devils Edmonton Oilers cash 2 5 David Mackey Minnesota North Stars Chicago Blackhawks cash 6 Craig Coxe Vancouver Canucks Chicago Blackhawks cash 7 Mikael Andersson Hartford Whalers Buffalo Sabres cash 8 Nick Kypreos Washington Capitals Philadelphia Flyers cash

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

RoundPickPlayerClaimed byClaimed fromCompensation 1 1 Wayne Van Dorp Quebec Nordiques Chicago Blackhawks cash 2 Randy Gregg Vancouver Canucks Edmonton Oilers cash 3 Bengt-Ake Gustafsson Detroit Red Wings Washington Capitals cash 2 4 Shawn Anderson Quebec Nordiques Washington Capitals cash 5 Mario Marois St. Louis Blues Quebec Nordiques cash 3 6 Aaron Broten Quebec Nordiques Minnesota North Stars cash 7 Rod Buskas Los Angeles Kings Pittsburgh Penguins cash 8 Bob Bassen St. Louis Blues Chicago Blackhawks cash

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