This is a list of players recruited into teams in the National Hockey League in its first season, the 1917–18 NHL season . Some had been free agents and others were moved as part of two dispersal drafts .
Rights retained
Note: This is the list of players who were retained by their teams after the NHA disbanded and the NHL was created.
Date
team
Name
November 26, 1917
Montreal Canadiens
Bert Corbeau
November 26, 1917
Montreal Canadiens
Billy Coutu
November 26, 1917
Montreal Canadiens
Louis Berlinquette
November 26, 1917
Montreal Canadiens
Newsy Lalonde
November 26, 1917
Montreal Canadiens
Didier Pitre
November 26, 1917
Montreal Canadiens
Tommy Smith
November 26, 1917
Ottawa Senators
Ed Lowrey
November 26, 1917
Ottawa Senators
Clint Benedict
November 26, 1917
Ottawa Senators
Eddie Girard
November 26, 1917
Ottawa Senators
George Boucher
November 26, 1917
Ottawa Senators
Hamby Shore
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Art Ross
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
George O'Grady
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Harry Hyland
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Kenneth Thompson
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Sprague Cleghorn
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Billy Bell
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Odie Cleghorn
November 26, 1917
Montreal Wanderers
Phil Stevens
Free agency
Date
Player
Team
November 1917 Hap Holmes
Montreal Wanderers
November 5, 1917
Alf Skinner
Toronto Arenas
December 3, 1917
Gerry Geran
Montreal Wanderers
December 5, 1917
Corbett Denneny
Toronto Arenas
December 5, 1917
Harry Cameron
Toronto Arenas
December 5, 1917
Harry Meeking
Toronto Arenas
December 5, 1917
Jack Coughlin
Toronto Arenas
December 5, 1917
Sammy Hebert
Toronto Arenas
December 5, 1917
Reg Noble
Toronto Arenas
December 7, 1917
Morley Bruce
Ottawa Senators
December 9, 1917
Ken Randall
Toronto Arenas
December 15, 1917
Art Brooks
Toronto Arenas
December 21, 1917
Raymie Skilton
Montreal Wanderers
December 22, 1917
Frank Nighbor
Ottawa Senators
January 29, 1918
Evariste Payer
Montreal Canadiens
February 9, 1918
Jack Adams
Toronto Arenas
February 9, 1918
Rusty Crawford
Toronto Arenas
February 20, 1918
Horace Merrill
Ottawa Senators
Dispersal draft
Note: This is the list of players who were selected in the dispersal drafts when the Quebec Bulldogs opted not to play the season and the Montreal Wanderers left the league after their home arena burned down.
Date
Player
New team
Previous team
November 26, 1917
Harry Mummery
Toronto Arenas
Quebec Bulldogs
November 26, 1917
Joe Hall
Montreal Canadiens
Quebec Bulldogs
November 26, 1917
Joe Malone
Montreal Canadiens
Quebec Bulldogs
November 26, 1917
Rusty Crawford
Ottawa Senators
Quebec Bulldogs
November 26, 1917
David Ritchie
Montreal Wanderers
Quebec Bulldogs
November 26, 1917
George Carey
Montreal Wanderers
Quebec Bulldogs
November 26, 1917
Jack Marks
Montreal Wanderers
Quebec Bulldogs
November 26, 1917
Jack McDonald
Montreal Wanderers
Quebec Bulldogs
January 4, 1918
Billy Bell
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Wanderers
January 4, 1918
Jack Marks
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Wanderers
January 4, 1918
Jack McDonald
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Wanderers
January 4, 1918
Sprague Cleghorn
Ottawa Senators
Montreal Wanderers
January 4, 1918
Harry Hyland
Ottawa Senators
Montreal Wanderers
January 4, 1918
Dave Ritchie
Ottawa Senators
Montreal Wanderers
Trades between teams
Sources
http://www.hockeydb.com http://www.hockey-reference.com Diamond, Dan, ed. (2002), Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Hockey League (Second ed.), New York: Total Sports Publishing, ISBN 1-892129-85-X Duff, Bob (2017), The First Season: 1917–18 and the Birth of the NHL , Windsor, Ontario: Biblioasis, ISBN 978-1-771961-84-4 Toronto Hockey Club Montreal Canadiens
