Gary Simmons

NHL Seals / Barons career regular-season stats: 89 GP, 27 W, 48 L, 12 T, 3.51 GAA, .892 SV. %, 5 SO

Gary “Cobra” Simmons didn’t make the NHL until he was in his early 30s, but he made the most of his opportunity and left quite a lasting impression on Bay Area fans. Always a loquacious story-teller, Simmons was a favorite of the Bay Area media and could always be counted on to provide an interesting sit-down interview to promote the sport.

He was impressive enough early in his NHL career to earn almost equal playing time to Seals legend Gilles Meloche from October 1974 right through to his trade to Los Angeles in January 1977 while a member of the Cleveland Barons. Simmons owns a few franchise records such as most penalty minutes by a goaltender in one season (26), most consecutive shutouts (2) and longest shutout streak (170 minutes and 14 seconds). He also stopped Boston’s Bobby Schmautz on a penalty shot on November 2, 1975 to preserve Seals goaltenders’ perfect record in such a situation.

Of course, he is most known for his colourful “Cobra” mask, which now rests comfortably in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

Ivan Boldirev

NHL Seals career regular-season stats: 191 GP, 52 G, 77 A, 129 PTS, 134 PIM, -88 +/-

A wonderfully talented and consistent scorer, the Serbian-born “Ike” Boldirev was picked up in a lopsided trade with Boston for former Seals first-rounder Chris Oddleifson early in 1971-72, and the slick stick-handler did not disappoint. His first season with the Seals was that star-crossed 1971-72 campaign and despite missing a few games, he totaled an impressive 39 points in 57 games. Always a respected member of the Seals, he was an alternate captain from 1972 to 1974. Boldirev holds the franchise record for goals in one game (4), which he accomplished on January 9, 1974. That same year he scored a then career-high 56 points, including 25 goals, and it seemed as though he would remain a Seal for many years, but during the summer, Garry Young was asked to trim some salary due to the fact the NHL owned the team, and Boldirev was one of those salaries deemed too large to keep. He was sent to Chicago for Mike Christie and Len Frig in a move that greatly shored up the Seals’ defense. Boldirev thrived in Chicago before finding his way to Atlanta, Vancouver, and Detroit. He ended his NHL career in 1985 with 361 goals and 866 points, the second-most totals by anyone who has ever played for the Seals.

Jim Neilson

NHL Seals / Barons career regular-season stats: 213 GP, 9 G, 61 A, 70 PTS, 138 PIM, -82 +/-

Jim Neilson was already a seasoned veteran when he arrived in Oakland in 1974.  He provided the New York Rangers with a solid defensive game sprinkled with a little offensive talent that took some of the pressure off all-star Brad Park. Neilson’s experience and steady hand were major reasons for the Seals’ vast improvement in the goals-against column.  His name lent the Seals some much-needed credibility, especially during his first season when the majority of players on the roster were rookies or sophomores. Neilson was awarded the Seals MVP award and best defenseman award in 1974-75.  The following season he was named the Seals’ captain, replacing the departed Joey Johnston, but Neilson was injured shortly into the season.  When he returned for the 1976-77 season, he remained the team’s co-captain, sharing duties with Bob Stewart. He finished his NHL career in 1977-78 with 69 goals and 368 points to his credit. He played 35 more games during one final season in the WHA before retiring.

Charles M. Schulz, a.k.a. “Sparky”

A special “webmaster’s pick”, the legendary cartoonist joins Simmons, Boldirev, and Neilson in the Seals Hall of Fame as a builder due to his important contributions to promoting hockey and the Seals not only in California, but all over the world as well. Anyone who has read Peanuts or who has watched the many TV and film adaptations of his work knows that Snoopy and the Peanuts gang are huge hockey fans, and they have practiced the sport since at least the 1960s. In 1969, he financed the building of the Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa, California. Fifty years later, it still stands, and as it underwent renovations Seals pucks shot into the rafters during practices were discovered. Outside the arena, there is a walk of fame where his friend Charlie Hodge has his name engraved.

One of Schulz’s greatest contributions to the Seals was “Sparky”, the lovable cartoon mascot which was found on Seals media guides and memorabilia throughout the first half of the 1970s. Although “Sparky” was not created by Schulz himself, but rather another cartoonist who worked for him, the character’s impact was indeed great.

Long after the Seals disappeared he was still spreading the hockey gospel throughout California. According to his Wikipedia entry, “Schulz also was very active in senior ice-hockey tournaments; in 1975, he formed Snoopy’s Senior World Hockey Tournament at his Redwood Empire Ice Arena, and in 1981, he was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to the sport of hockey in the United States.” As an unofficial member of the Seals, he is one of the few associated with the club to win a major NHL award because of his work with the team. Schulz passed away in 2000 at the age of 78, but his memory and love of hockey remain even in the most recent Peanuts Movie released in 2015. The character Franklin, perhaps in tribute to Schulz’s beloved Seals, even holds a pair of white skates.

Thanks goes to site subscriber Robert Kirk of Brandon, Manitoba for providing a compelling argument for including Mr. Schulz in the 2019 Hall of Fame class.