The Cincinnati Stingers Agreement

Background Information
The Cincinnati Stingers were originally excluded from the WHA-NHL Merger Agreement that was concluded between the NHL and WHA in March of 1979 and as such was not destined to join the NHL for the 1979-80 season. The WHA held a dispersal draft which saw the majority of the Stingers players sent to the WHA teams that were merging with the NHL ( Nordiques, Jets,  Oilers &  Whalers).

The Cincinnati Stingers and what little remaining players they had were destined to join the minor Central Hockey League and historically the team would fold in the middle of the CHL 1979-80 season.

The Cincinnati Stingers Agreement
When the NHL became the TFHL under new management, the owners of the Cincinnati Stingers petitioned the TFHL a final time for admittance into the former NHL League. The TFHL Management agreed to allow the Stingers into the TFHL as a 5th expansion team, though with different rules and regulations compared to the WHA teams that were joining under the WHA-NHL Merger Agreement.


 * 1) - The TFHL would not reverse or revise the original WHA-NHL Merger, as such the Cincinnati Stingers were not given the option to Priority Select Players reclaimed by the NHL teams, nor would the TFHL allow the Cincinnati Stingers to reclaim any players that were dispersed in the WHA Dispersal Draft.
 * 2) - The Cincinnati Stingers would still pay the $6 million entry free.
 * 3) - The Cincinnati Stingers were permitted to Priority Select only four (4) players now considered Free Agents from the Stingers 1978-79 Roster.
 * 4) - The Cincinnati Stingers would be given the last selecting slot in the 1979 Expansion Draft, behind the original WHA teams.
 * 5) - The Cincinnati Stingers would be given the second last selecting slot, just ahead of the Edmonton Oilers in the 1979 Entry Draft. The Stingers select ahead of the Oilers because of the WHA-NHL agreement in regards to Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers.
 * 6) - The Cincinnati Stingers would be allowed to retain any players from their 1978-79 Roster that were not claimed in the Dispersal Draft or reclaimed by NHL teams or re-entered in the 1979 Entry Draft.

Notes:
The TFHL Commissioner decided to include the Cincinnati Stingers to balance the league with 22 teams as opposed to 21 for easier scheduling purposes and to add an additional element of uniqueness to the TFHL League. The Commish always thought the Stingers were shafted by the WHA and NHL respectively and decided to include the Cincinnati Stingers into the TFHL as a 5th expansion team as a "what if" situation. The Commish is aware that the Cincinnati Stingers are considered at a disadvantage in comparison to the NHL and even WHA teams, but believes someone might be up to the challenge.