California Golden Seals
Encyclopedia
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League
(NHL) from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of the 1967 NHL expansion
. Based in Oakland, California
, they played their home games at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena. However, the Seals were never successful at the gate, and eventually moved to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons
in 1976.
's threat to turn itself into a major league. The San Francisco Seals
were one such team from the WHL, and after it was purchased by Barry Van Gerbig
and moved across the Bay to a new arena in Oakland
, the Seals joined the NHL. The Bay Area
was not considered a particularly lucrative hockey market, but the terms of a new television agreement with CBS
called for two of the expansion teams to be located in California.
Van Gerbig had planned to have the team play in a new arena in San Francisco
, but the arena never came to fruition, and the Seals played in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena (now known as Oracle Arena). While the WHL Seals had drawn well while playing home games at the Cow Palace
in Daly City, just outside San Francisco, the NHL would not allow the Seals to play there, even on a temporary basis. The franchise was named California Seals in an attempt to appeal to fans from San Francisco, and to address complaints from the other NHL teams that Oakland was not considered a major league city (notwithstanding the presence of the American Football League
's Oakland Raiders
and the pending relocation of Major League Baseball
's Kansas City Athletics
) and would not be a draw for fans. The plan failed, however, and on November 6, 1967, Van Gerbig announced that the team's name was being changed to Oakland Seals, although the league did not register the change until December.
publicly advocated a move to Vancouver
, but an offer from Labatt's brewery to purchase and relocate the team was rejected by the league, as was a proposal to move the team to Buffalo
from the Knox brothers, who had been shut out of the 1967 expansion. As it turned out, the league's 1970 expansion would include Vancouver
and Buffalo
. The Knoxes would buy a minority share of the Seals in 1969, only to sell it a year later to found the Sabres.
This, as well as the team's dismal on-ice performance, led to major changes to both the Seals' front office and the roster – only seven out of the 20 Seals players remained after the first season. The new-look Seals were somewhat more successful, making the playoffs for two years, although with sub .500 records. Those would be the only two years that the franchise made the playoffs.
The league's rejection of the proposed move to Vancouver prompted a lawsuit that was not settled until 1974 (San Francisco Seals Ltd. v. National Hockey League). The Seals organization filed suit against the NHL claiming that the prohibition violated the Sherman Act. The Seals asserted that the league's constitution was in violation by prohibiting clubs from relocating their operations, and that the relocation request was denied in an attempt to keep the San Francisco market in the NHL and thereby discourage the formation of a rival team or league in that location. The court ruled that the NHL was a single entity, and that the teams were not competitors in an economic sense, so the league restrictions on relocation were not a restraint of trade.
For the 1969–70 season the team was sold to a group called Trans National Communications, whose investors included Pat Summerall
and Whitey Ford
. However, the group filed for bankruptcy and ownership reverted to Van Gerbig, who put the team up for sale again.
, purchased the Seals. Finley and Roller Derby
boss Jerry Seltzer
had both put in a bid on the team. Although Seltzer's offer was slightly better and included a more detailed plan for revival, a majority of NHL owners from the "old establishment" voted in favor of Finley. General manager Bill Torrey
left by mid-season due to clashes with Finley.
On October 15, 1970, with the new season already two games old, Finley announced that the team's name was being changed to California Golden Seals ("Bay Area Seals" had been reported the previous week, and appears on some of that year's promotional material), following a number of other marketing gimmicks intended to sell the team to the fans, among them changing the Seals' colors to green and gold to match those of the popular A's. The team's uniform crest was now the word "Seals" in a unique typeface, but an alternate logo using a sketch based on a photo of star player Carol Vadnais
was used on marketing materials such as pennants, stickers and team programs. The original 1967 California Seals logo recolored in green and gold was often seen on trading cards and other unofficial material, but was never adopted by the team. The Seals are remembered for wearing white skates, but initially Torrey convinced Finley to use green and gold painted skates instead, as team colored skates were a trend of the period. However, this was all for naught, as the Seals finished with the worst record in the NHL that year. At the end of the 1970 season, the Seals traded their pick in the first round of the 1971 draft to the Montreal Canadiens
along with Francois Lacombe
in return for Montreal's first round pick in 1970 (selected Chris Oddleifson
), Ernie Hicke
, and cash. As a result of the Seals' dreadful season, the Canadiens had the top pick in the draft, and used it to select future Hall of Famer
Guy Lafleur
. This transaction now ranks as one of the most one-sided deals in NHL history.
(WHA) wiped out most of those gains. Finley refused to match the WHA's contract offers, causing five of the team's top ten scorers from the previous season to bolt to the new league. Devoid of any defensive talent save for goaltender Gilles Meloche
, the Seals sank into last place again in 1973, where they would remain for the rest of their history. Although divisional restructuring in 1974
included a revamped format in which three teams in each division made the playoffs, the team's efforts were frustrated by their placement in the Adams Division
, with the strong Buffalo, Boston
, and Toronto
teams of the day.
Tired of the struggling hockey team, especially in comparison to his World Series
champion Athletics, Finley tried to sell the Seals, but there were no takers. The NHL eventually took control of the team in February 1974, purchasing it from Finley for $6.585 million. A 1973 attempt by Finley to sell the team to Indianapolis
interests who planned to relocate the team to that city was rejected by the NHL's Board of Governors.
In early 1975, newspapers reported that the Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins
were to be relocated to Denver
and Seattle
, respectively, in an arrangement that would have seen the two teams sold to groups in those cities that had already been awarded "conditional" franchises for the 1976-77 season
. At the same time, the league announced that if the Seals' sale to the Denver group was not completed or new ownership found locally, the franchise would be liquidated at the end of the season.
The Denver arrangement fell through, and the league ran the Seals for more than a year until San Francisco hotel magnate Melvin Swig
bought the team in 1975 with the intent of moving the team to a proposed new arena in San Francisco. The team fell just short of the playoffs, and after a mayoral election, plans for the new arena were cancelled. With a new arena out of the picture, the league dropped its objection to the relocation of the franchise.
persuaded Swig to seek approval to move the team to their hometown of Cleveland
. League approval for the move was granted on July 14, 1976, and the team was renamed the Cleveland Barons
after the city's old AHL squad. After two more years of losses and with attendance worse than it had been in Oakland, the Gunds (by this time majority owners) were permitted to merge the Barons with another failing team, the Minnesota North Stars
. The merged team continued as the Minnesota North Stars under the Gunds' ownership, but assumed the Barons' place in the Adams Division. The North Stars ultimately relocated to Texas
following the 1992–93 season to become the Dallas Stars
.
The Cleveland Barons remain the most recent team in an established North American major professional league to fold, as well as the only team in the NHL to do so since 1942. As a result, the NHL consisted of 17 teams for the 1978–79 season.
, has a historical connection to the Seals. Years after the Barons-North Stars merger, the Gunds wanted to bring hockey back to the Bay Area. They asked the NHL for permission to move the North Stars there in the late 1980s, but the league was unwilling to abandon a traditional hockey market like the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, a group led by former Hartford Whalers
owner Howard Baldwin
was pushing the NHL to bring a team to San Jose
, where an arena was being built. Eventually, a compromise was struck whereby the Gunds would sell their share of the North Stars to Baldwin's group, with the Gunds receiving an expansion team in the Bay Area to begin play in the 1991-92 season. In return, the North Stars would be allowed to participate as an equal partner in an expansion draft with the new franchise. On May 5, 1990, the Gunds officially sold their share of the North Stars to Baldwin and were awarded a new team in the Bay Area that eventually became the Sharks.
Dennis Maruk
was the last Seals player active in the NHL, retiring as a member of the North Stars in 1989. The last former Seals player in any league was Charlie Simmer
, who was active with the IHL's San Diego Gulls until 1992.
² named California Seals from October 11 to November 6, 1967.
Career:
Single season:
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of the 1967 NHL expansion
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
. Based in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, they played their home games at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena. However, the Seals were never successful at the gate, and eventually moved to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Barons (NHL)
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
in 1976.
Founding
In 1966, the NHL announced that six expansion teams would be added as a new division for the 1967–68 season, officially because of a general desire to expand the league to new markets, but just as importantly to squelch the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
's threat to turn itself into a major league. The San Francisco Seals
San Francisco Seals (WHL)
The San Francisco Seals were a minor league hockey team which played in the Western Hockey League from 1961 to 1967.-Pro hockey returns to California:...
were one such team from the WHL, and after it was purchased by Barry Van Gerbig
Barry Van Gerbig
Barend "Barry" van Gerbig is an US millionaire socialite best known as the owner of the National Hockey League's California Seals.-Early life:...
and moved across the Bay to a new arena in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, the Seals joined the NHL. The Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
was not considered a particularly lucrative hockey market, but the terms of a new television agreement with CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
called for two of the expansion teams to be located in California.
Van Gerbig had planned to have the team play in a new arena in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, but the arena never came to fruition, and the Seals played in the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena (now known as Oracle Arena). While the WHL Seals had drawn well while playing home games at the Cow Palace
Cow Palace
Cow Palace is an indoor arena, in Daly City, California, situated on the city's border with neighboring San Francisco, notable as a sporting arena.-History:...
in Daly City, just outside San Francisco, the NHL would not allow the Seals to play there, even on a temporary basis. The franchise was named California Seals in an attempt to appeal to fans from San Francisco, and to address complaints from the other NHL teams that Oakland was not considered a major league city (notwithstanding the presence of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the pending relocation of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
) and would not be a draw for fans. The plan failed, however, and on November 6, 1967, Van Gerbig announced that the team's name was being changed to Oakland Seals, although the league did not register the change until December.
Struggles
The Seals were never successful at the gate, and because of this poor attendance Van Gerbig threatened on numerous occasions to move the team elsewhere. First-year coach and general manager Bert OlmsteadBert Olmstead
Murray Albert Olmstead is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . Olmstead began his career with the Black Hawks in 1949. In December 1950, he was traded to the...
publicly advocated a move to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, but an offer from Labatt's brewery to purchase and relocate the team was rejected by the league, as was a proposal to move the team to Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
from the Knox brothers, who had been shut out of the 1967 expansion. As it turned out, the league's 1970 expansion would include Vancouver
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
and Buffalo
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. The Knoxes would buy a minority share of the Seals in 1969, only to sell it a year later to found the Sabres.
This, as well as the team's dismal on-ice performance, led to major changes to both the Seals' front office and the roster – only seven out of the 20 Seals players remained after the first season. The new-look Seals were somewhat more successful, making the playoffs for two years, although with sub .500 records. Those would be the only two years that the franchise made the playoffs.
The league's rejection of the proposed move to Vancouver prompted a lawsuit that was not settled until 1974 (San Francisco Seals Ltd. v. National Hockey League). The Seals organization filed suit against the NHL claiming that the prohibition violated the Sherman Act. The Seals asserted that the league's constitution was in violation by prohibiting clubs from relocating their operations, and that the relocation request was denied in an attempt to keep the San Francisco market in the NHL and thereby discourage the formation of a rival team or league in that location. The court ruled that the NHL was a single entity, and that the teams were not competitors in an economic sense, so the league restrictions on relocation were not a restraint of trade.
For the 1969–70 season the team was sold to a group called Trans National Communications, whose investors included Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
and Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
. However, the group filed for bankruptcy and ownership reverted to Van Gerbig, who put the team up for sale again.
Charlie O. Finley purchases the franchise
Prior to the 1970-71 season, Charlie O. Finley, the flamboyant owner of baseball's Oakland AthleticsOakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, purchased the Seals. Finley and Roller Derby
Roller derby
Roller derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short matchups in which both teams designate a scoring player who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team...
boss Jerry Seltzer
Jerry Seltzer
Jerry Seltzer was the second and final owner of the original Roller Derby league. The league and the sport of roller derby were created in 1935 in Chicago by Leo Seltzer, Jerry's father. Jerry assumed ownership of the league in 1959 and ran it until its demise in 1973...
had both put in a bid on the team. Although Seltzer's offer was slightly better and included a more detailed plan for revival, a majority of NHL owners from the "old establishment" voted in favor of Finley. General manager Bill Torrey
Bill Torrey
William A. Torrey was a General Manager and executive in the National Hockey League, most famous for building up the expansion New York Islanders into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cups...
left by mid-season due to clashes with Finley.
On October 15, 1970, with the new season already two games old, Finley announced that the team's name was being changed to California Golden Seals ("Bay Area Seals" had been reported the previous week, and appears on some of that year's promotional material), following a number of other marketing gimmicks intended to sell the team to the fans, among them changing the Seals' colors to green and gold to match those of the popular A's. The team's uniform crest was now the word "Seals" in a unique typeface, but an alternate logo using a sketch based on a photo of star player Carol Vadnais
Carol Vadnais
Carol Marcel Vadnais is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1966–67 until 1982–83...
was used on marketing materials such as pennants, stickers and team programs. The original 1967 California Seals logo recolored in green and gold was often seen on trading cards and other unofficial material, but was never adopted by the team. The Seals are remembered for wearing white skates, but initially Torrey convinced Finley to use green and gold painted skates instead, as team colored skates were a trend of the period. However, this was all for naught, as the Seals finished with the worst record in the NHL that year. At the end of the 1970 season, the Seals traded their pick in the first round of the 1971 draft to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
along with Francois Lacombe
Francois Lacombe
François Lacombe is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman.-Professional hockey career:Lacombe played in the National Hockey League with the Oakland Seals, Buffalo Sabres and Quebec Nordiques...
in return for Montreal's first round pick in 1970 (selected Chris Oddleifson
Chris Oddleifson
Christopher Roy Oddleifson is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1981...
), Ernie Hicke
Ernie Hicke
Ernest Allan "Bubble" Hicke is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Hicke started his National Hockey League career with the Oakland Seals in 1970. He also played for the Atlanta Flames, New York Islanders, Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings. He left the NHL after the 1978 season...
, and cash. As a result of the Seals' dreadful season, the Canadiens had the top pick in the draft, and used it to select future Hall of Famer
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
Guy Lafleur
Guy Lafleur
Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted and popular players ever to play professional ice hockey...
. This transaction now ranks as one of the most one-sided deals in NHL history.
Under the ownership of the NHL and Mel Swig
The team rebounded in 1971–72, but the arrival of the World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA) wiped out most of those gains. Finley refused to match the WHA's contract offers, causing five of the team's top ten scorers from the previous season to bolt to the new league. Devoid of any defensive talent save for goaltender Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche
Gilles Meloche is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Minnesota North Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins...
, the Seals sank into last place again in 1973, where they would remain for the rest of their history. Although divisional restructuring in 1974
1974-75 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:Source: NHL.-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = PointsSource: NHL.-Leading goaltenders:...
included a revamped format in which three teams in each division made the playoffs, the team's efforts were frustrated by their placement in the Adams Division
Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins...
, with the strong Buffalo, Boston
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, and Toronto
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
teams of the day.
Tired of the struggling hockey team, especially in comparison to his World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champion Athletics, Finley tried to sell the Seals, but there were no takers. The NHL eventually took control of the team in February 1974, purchasing it from Finley for $6.585 million. A 1973 attempt by Finley to sell the team to Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
interests who planned to relocate the team to that city was rejected by the NHL's Board of Governors.
In early 1975, newspapers reported that the Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
were to be relocated to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, respectively, in an arrangement that would have seen the two teams sold to groups in those cities that had already been awarded "conditional" franchises for the 1976-77 season
1976-77 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties In Minutes-Leading goaltenders:...
. At the same time, the league announced that if the Seals' sale to the Denver group was not completed or new ownership found locally, the franchise would be liquidated at the end of the season.
The Denver arrangement fell through, and the league ran the Seals for more than a year until San Francisco hotel magnate Melvin Swig
Melvin Swig
Melvin M. Swig was a San Francisco real estate developer and philanthropist. He was also owner of the National Hockey League's California Golden Seals and Cleveland Barons....
bought the team in 1975 with the intent of moving the team to a proposed new arena in San Francisco. The team fell just short of the playoffs, and after a mayoral election, plans for the new arena were cancelled. With a new arena out of the picture, the league dropped its objection to the relocation of the franchise.
The end of the Seals
Although attendance was finally showing some improvement and the team playing better, minority owners George and Gordon GundGordon Gund
Gordon Gund is an United States businessman and professional sports owner. He is the CEO of Gund Investment Corporation. He is the former co-owner of the San Jose Sharks and former principal owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers and is currently a minority owner of the Cavaliers...
persuaded Swig to seek approval to move the team to their hometown of Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. League approval for the move was granted on July 14, 1976, and the team was renamed the Cleveland Barons
Cleveland Barons (NHL)
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
after the city's old AHL squad. After two more years of losses and with attendance worse than it had been in Oakland, the Gunds (by this time majority owners) were permitted to merge the Barons with another failing team, the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
. The merged team continued as the Minnesota North Stars under the Gunds' ownership, but assumed the Barons' place in the Adams Division. The North Stars ultimately relocated to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
following the 1992–93 season to become the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
.
The Cleveland Barons remain the most recent team in an established North American major professional league to fold, as well as the only team in the NHL to do so since 1942. As a result, the NHL consisted of 17 teams for the 1978–79 season.
Legacy
The current NHL team in the Bay Area, the San Jose SharksSan Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, has a historical connection to the Seals. Years after the Barons-North Stars merger, the Gunds wanted to bring hockey back to the Bay Area. They asked the NHL for permission to move the North Stars there in the late 1980s, but the league was unwilling to abandon a traditional hockey market like the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, a group led by former Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
owner Howard Baldwin
Howard Baldwin
Howard Baldwin is an American entrepreneur and film producer. He is the CEO of Baldwin Entertainment, which has produced films such as the Academy Award-nominated Ray. Baldwin founded the New England Whalers ice hockey franchise in the WHA and has also owned part of the Minnesota North Stars and...
was pushing the NHL to bring a team to San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, where an arena was being built. Eventually, a compromise was struck whereby the Gunds would sell their share of the North Stars to Baldwin's group, with the Gunds receiving an expansion team in the Bay Area to begin play in the 1991-92 season. In return, the North Stars would be allowed to participate as an equal partner in an expansion draft with the new franchise. On May 5, 1990, the Gunds officially sold their share of the North Stars to Baldwin and were awarded a new team in the Bay Area that eventually became the Sharks.
Dennis Maruk
Dennis Maruk
Dennis John Maruk is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played in the National Hockey League from 1975 to 1989, scoring a career high 60 goals for the Washington Capitals in 1981–82.-Career:...
was the last Seals player active in the NHL, retiring as a member of the North Stars in 1989. The last former Seals player in any league was Charlie Simmer
Charlie Simmer
Charles Robert Simmer is a retired ice hockey forward, most notably for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League, who was notable for his scoring and power play prowess.-Playing career:...
, who was active with the IHL's San Diego Gulls until 1992.
Season-by-season record
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes| NHL Season | Team season | Team name | GP | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–68 | 1967–68 1967–68 Oakland Seals season The 1967–68 Oakland Seals season was their first season in the NHL. It began auspiciously, with the firing General Manager Rudy Pilous before the expansion draft. The Seals started their inaugural season with Hall of Famer Bert Olmstead as both coach and general manager, assisted by Gordie Fashoway... |
Oakland Seals² | 74 | 15 | 42 | 17 | 47 | 153 | 219 | 787 | sixth in West | Out of playoffs |
| 1968–69 | 1968–69 1968–69 Oakland Seals season The 1968–69 Oakland Seals season was the Seals' second season in the NHL. For the first time in their short history they qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs after finishing second in the West Division... |
Oakland Seals | 76 | 29 | 36 | 11 | 69 | 219 | 251 | 811 | second in West | Lost quarterfinal (LA Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... ), 3-4 |
| 1969–70 | 1969–70 1969–70 Oakland Seals season The 1969–70 Oakland Seals season was the Seals' third season in the NHL. They qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second year in a row, and were again eliminated in the first round... |
Oakland Seals | 76 | 22 | 40 | 14 | 58 | 169 | 243 | 845 | fourth in West | Lost quarterfinal (PIT Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... ), 0-4 |
| 1970–71 | 1970–71 1970–71 California Golden Seals season The 1970–71 California Golden Seals season was the Seals' fourth in the NHL, but their first as the Golden Seals. Oakland Athletics owner Charlie O. Finley bought the team in the offseason for approximately $4,500,000... |
California Golden Seals | 78 | 20 | 53 | 5 | 45 | 199 | 320 | 937 | seventh in West | Out of playoffs |
| 1971–72 | 1971–72 1971–72 California Golden Seals season The 1971–72 California Golden Seals season was the team's fifth in the NHL. The Seals missed the playoffs again, but posted a solid improvement over the previous season and finished sixth in the West Division.-Offseason:... |
California Golden Seals | 78 | 21 | 39 | 18 | 60 | 216 | 288 | 1007 | sixth in West | Out of playoffs |
| 1972–73 | 1972–73 1972–73 California Golden Seals season The 1972–73 California Golden Seals season was the California Golden Seals' sixth season in the NHL. The Seals were hit particularly hard by defections to the new World Hockey Association, dropping 12 points from the previous year and returning to the basement of the West Division... |
California Golden Seals | 78 | 16 | 46 | 16 | 48 | 213 | 323 | 840 | eighth in West | Out of playoffs |
| 1973–74 | 1973–74 1973–74 California Golden Seals season The 1973–74 California Golden Seals season was the Seals' seventh season in the NHL. With the continuing depletion of talent due to the World Hockey Association and a lack of interest from owner Charles O. Finley who put the team up for sale, the Seals had a miserable season and sank to a... |
California Golden Seals | 78 | 13 | 55 | 10 | 36 | 195 | 342 | 651 | eighth in West | Out of playoffs |
| 1974–75 | 1974–75 1974–75 California Golden Seals season The 1974–75 California Golden Seals season was the Seals' 8th season in the NHL. The team continued to be operated by the league until early 1975, when new local ownership led by Mel Swig, owner of the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, was found. The Seals adopted new uniforms this season with new... |
California Golden Seals | 80 | 19 | 48 | 13 | 51 | 212 | 316 | 1101 | fourth in Adams | Out of playoffs |
| 1975–76 | 1975–76 1975–76 California Golden Seals season The 1975–76 California Golden Seals season would be the Seals' ninth and final season in the Bay Area of California. The Seals were led by rookie Dennis Maruk.... |
California Golden Seals | 80 | 27 | 42 | 11 | 65 | 250 | 278 | 1058 | fourth in Adams | Out of playoffs |
| Totals | Nine seasons | 698 | 182 | 401 | 115 | 479 | 1826 | 2580 | 8037 | |||
² named California Seals from October 11 to November 6, 1967.
Franchise records
Includes Cleveland Barons (1976-78)Career:
- Most games played, Bob Stewart (414)
- Most goals, Dennis Maruk (94)
- Most assists, Al MacAdam (129)
- Most points, Al MacAdam (217)
- Most penalty minutes, Bob Stewart (691)
- Most wins by a goaltender, Gilles Meloche (93)
- Most losses by a goaltender, Gilles Meloche (191)
- Lowest goals-against average by a goaltender, Charlie Hodge (3.09)
- Most shutouts by a goaltender, Gilles Meloche (11)
- Most minutes, Gilles Meloche (20,666)
- Most wins by a coach, Fred Glover (96)
- Most losses by a coach, Fred Glover (206)
Single season:
- Most goals, Dennis Maruk (36 in 1977-78)
- Most assists, Dennis Maruk (50 in 1976-77)
- Most points, Dennis Maruk (78 in 1976-77)
- Most wins by a goaltender, Gary Smith (21 in 1968-69)
- Most losses by a goaltender, Gary Smith (48 in 1970-71)
- Best goals-against average by a goaltender, Charlie Hodge (2.86 in 1967-68)
- Most shutouts by a goaltender, Gary Smith (4 in 1968-69) and Gilles Meloche (4 in 1971-72)
Hall of Famers
- Harry Howell
- Bert OlmsteadBert OlmsteadMurray Albert Olmstead is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . Olmstead began his career with the Black Hawks in 1949. In December 1950, he was traded to the...
- Craig PatrickCraig PatrickCraig Patrick is a former American hockey player, coach and general manager, the son of Lynn Patrick and the grandson of Lester Patrick...
(inducted as builder) - Rudy PilousRudy PilousRudy Pilous was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pilous won a Stanley Cup coaching the Chicago Black Hawks in 1960–61, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 in the builder category.-Playing career:Pilous played junior ice hockey in the Manitoba...
(inducted as builder) - Bill TorreyBill TorreyWilliam A. Torrey was a General Manager and executive in the National Hockey League, most famous for building up the expansion New York Islanders into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cups...
(inducted as builder)
Team captains
- Bobby BaunBobby BaunRobert Neil "Bob, Boomer" Baun is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for 17 seasons from 1956–57 to 1972–73.-Playing career:...
, 1967–68 - Ted HampsonTed HampsonEdward George "Tick" Hampson was a National Hockey League centre during the 1960s and 70s.-Career:...
, 1968–71 - Carol VadnaisCarol VadnaisCarol Marcel Vadnais is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1966–67 until 1982–83...
, 1971–72 - Bert MarshallBert MarshallAlbert Leroy "Moose" Marshall is a retired ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, California Golden Seals, New York Rangers and New York Islanders.-Playing career:...
, 1972–73 - No captain, 1973–74
- Joey JohnstonJoey JohnstonJoseph John Johnston is a retired a Canadian ice hockey forward.Johnston started his National Hockey League career with the Minnesota North Stars in 1968, but spent most of his time in the minors until 1971, when he became a front-liner for the California Golden Seals...
, 1974–75 - Jim NeilsonJim NeilsonJames Anthony "Chief" Neilson was a National Hockey League defenceman for the New York Rangers, California Golden Seals and Cleveland Barons and completed his career in the World Hockey Association....
and Bob Stewart, 1975–76 (co-captains)
General managers
- Rudy PilousRudy PilousRudy Pilous was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pilous won a Stanley Cup coaching the Chicago Black Hawks in 1960–61, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 in the builder category.-Playing career:Pilous played junior ice hockey in the Manitoba...
, 1967 (fired before start of season) - Bert OlmsteadBert OlmsteadMurray Albert Olmstead is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . Olmstead began his career with the Black Hawks in 1949. In December 1950, he was traded to the...
, 1967–68 (resigned in March 1968) - Frank Selke Jr., 1968–70 (resigned in November 1970)
- Bill TorreyBill TorreyWilliam A. Torrey was a General Manager and executive in the National Hockey League, most famous for building up the expansion New York Islanders into a dynasty that won four consecutive Stanley Cups...
, 1970 (resigned in December 1970) - Fred Glover, 1970–71 (fired in October 1971)
- Garry YoungGarry Young (ice hockey)Garry Young is a former executive in the National Hockey League.He began his career as a scout for the Boston Bruins, and in 1971 was hired by Charlie Finley as the California Golden Seals' new General Manager, replacing interim Fred Glover. He named himself coach after he dismissed Vic Stasiuk in...
, 1971–72 (fired in November 1972) - Fred Glover, 1972–74 (resigned in February 1974)
- Garry Young, 1974—given title of Director of Hockey Operations due to NHL ownership of club (resigned before start of 1974–75 season)
- Bill McCreary, 1974–76—given title of Director of Hockey Operations from 1974-75 while club under ownership of NHL. He became general manager in the summer of 1975 after Melvin Swig bought the club from the league
First round draft picks
- 19671967 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1967 NHL Amateur Draft was held June 7, 1967 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Listed below are the selections in the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-External links:*...
: Ken Hicks (third overall) - 19681968 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1968 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1968 NHL Entry Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-External links:* *...
: none - 19691969 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1969 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This draft is notable for being the first NHL draft to be conducted after the league ended direct sponsorship of junior hockey.-Selections by round:...
: Tony FeatherstoneTony FeatherstoneAnthony James Featherstone is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played 130 games in the National Hockey League for the California Golden Seals. He would also play 108 games in the World Hockey Association with the Toronto Toros.-External links:...
(seventh overall) - 19701970 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1970 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 11, 1970 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft...
: Chris OddleifsonChris OddleifsonChristopher Roy Oddleifson is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1981...
(10th overall) - 19711971 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1971 NHL Amateur Draft was held on June 10, 1971 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
: none - 19721972 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1972 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Selections by round:Below are listed the selections in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft...
: none - 19731973 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1973 NHL Amateur Draft, the 11th National Hockey League draft was the first to be held on a separate day from other league activities on May 15, 1973, at the Mount Royal Hotel in Montreal, Quebec so it would not overshadow the rest of the league meetings. Previously, the league had held the...
: none - 19741974 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1974 NHL Amateur Draft was held via conference call at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. In an effort to prevent the WHA from poaching players, the draft was conducted early and in secret. This failed to prevent tampering as information leaked out via agents and other sources over the three...
: Rick HamptonRick HamptonRichard Charles Hampton is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He was raised in King City, and attended King City Secondary School, from which he graduated in 1975....
(third overall) - 19751975 NHL Amateur DraftThe 1975 NHL Amateur Draft was held at the NHL office in Montreal, Quebec. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers made the most noise at the draft, trading Bill Clement, Don McLean, and the 18th overall pick to the Washington Capitals for the number one overall selection,...
: Ralph KlassenRalph KlassenRalph L. Klassen is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 497 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Blues. He currently resides in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada and works for Canada Post.-...
(third overall)
See also
- List of California Golden Seals players
- List of California Golden Seals head coaches
- San Jose SharksSan Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
- Cleveland Barons (NHL)Cleveland Barons (NHL)The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League from 1976–78. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967...
- Minnesota North StarsMinnesota North StarsThe Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
- Dallas StarsDallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
- List of NHL players
- List of NHL seasons
- 1967 NHL Expansion1967 NHL expansionThe National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...