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InUl‘£BCforatilhivcceForIs.in-cdHockey Chiefs Step Towards Draft PactBy AL McNEIL r key Association put Iho NHL atMONTREAL (CP) — The a distinct disadvantage when it National Hockey League and signed five top juniors during the Canadian Amateur Kockey *he Jast few weeks—all of themAssociation appeared ooiy a step away from agreement today on a new pact that would allow amateurs under 20 but of exceptional ability to be drafted' to professional ranks.Both NHL president Clarence Campbell and Jack Devine of Belleville, Ont., president of the CAHA, expressed optimism that such an agreement can be reached within a matter of days.The two hockey groups met here over the weekend with Lou Lefaive, deputy to health minister Marc Lalonde, acting as nu observer for the federalgovernment.Before leaving for home, De-vine said only “one minor technicality r e m a i n s to be cleared up.Both Campbell and Devine agrreed that the technicality covers the mechanics of drafting these exceptional juniors.Since 19H7, the NHL has bad an agreement with the CAHA that prevents it from signing players under 20 from junior ranks. But the new World Hoc-under 20.The WHA apparently felt free to take this action because it had no working agreement with the CAHA. But Ilia WHA readied tentative agreement at a Toronto meeting earlier this month to pay for junior players signed—as the NHL does.Apparently the only stumbling block left before the pact is signed, is how these “exceptional'* juniors would be chosen during draft proceedings.Speculation was that these players would have to be picked in the first round of any amateur draft, he signed to a pro contract with a set period, and that the drafting team would be required to pay the CAHA an additional sum for tlie privilege of pi eking such a piaycr.Both sides agreed after the meeting that financial terms had been thoroughly discussed and were no longer a major £i r i b ] u ni. But neither side would comment on the possible financial arrangement.Following the WHA-CAHAaccord, the -financial terms were not mado public, but it was reported the pro league had agreed to pay $20,000 for each of lira* first 50 amateurs chosen, $15,0(10 for the next 50, giving the CAHA $1.C million for the tot 90 players selected.It was bulled here that the penally for a pro team grabbing an exceptionally, talented junior under 20 would cost the drafting team an additional $20,000.Under the WHA-CAHA for-mula, the 91st to 120th players chosen would cost $10,000 each and $5,000 would be paid for ail juniors from 121 on.Last May the NHL dnifled a record 163 juniors in its annual draft. It paid $10,000 each for the first 32. $7,000 for the next 32, and $3,000 each for the remainder.At an. NHL governors meeting in New York last Friday, Campbell said the league had paid the CAHA $1,991,000 for the whole amatedr program in 1972. ■The pro-am agreement between the NIIL and the CAHA became subject for renewal last June.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Mon, Sep 17, 1973
Page 47
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 03 Dec 2018
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