from Sean McIndoe of Grantland,
Today, the NHL draft lasts for a quick and tidy seven rounds. Through much of the 1980s, it lasted for 12. But for most of the 1970s, the draft lasted … well, pretty much as long as the teams wanted it to. Back then, there was no set number of rounds; teams could keep picking players until they chose to pass. Once every team had passed, they were all allowed to hang up and go home.
Some teams took this as an opportunity to add a handful of prospects who their scouts liked. Others saw it as a chance to draft everybody. It wasn’t unusual for the number of rounds to drift well into the late teens, often with just a few teams still participating. You know that guy in the front row who keeps putting his hand up even though everyone else has already packed away their stuff and just wants to go home? He was an NHL GM in the 1970s.
The most extreme example of this phenomenon came in 1974. The league featured 18 teams, all of which stuck around for the first seven rounds. That’s when teams started to pass. By Round 12, a dozen teams were left. By Round 14, it was down to eight. After 15 rounds, all but five were done.
McIndoe also brings up the Wheel (picture here) the NHL used to spin for the draft order...
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