# 1917–18 NHL transactions

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 exact date unknown | 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

| December 12, 1917 | To Montreal Wanderersundisclosed return | To Seattle Metropolitans (PCHA)loan of Hap Holmes |
| January 4, 1918 | To Montreal Canadiensundisclosed return | To Toronto Arenasloan of Jack Marks |
| February 11, 1918 | To Ottawa SenatorsSammy Hebert | To Toronto Arenascash |

## 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