Hi everyone! I’ve been absolutely spazzing out the last couple days since learning in the Society for International Hockey Research newsletter that the NHL has finally digitized every single game summary it has ever produced! Yup, every single game ever played can be found in the stats section at NHL.com, and I couldn’t be happier! Every obscure stat I’ve been trying to find over the years is now at my fingertips, and it can be at yours too.

As you may already know, I’ve been working on a new book since the last one was published. Because I’m a glutton for punishment and depression, I’ve decided to dive deep into the sorry histories of the Kansas City Scouts and Washington Capitals of the 1974-76 era, mainly because my article on the Coca-Cola Cup (which you can read here) ties those two ultra-depressing seasons together like a bow on the world’s worst Christmas present. Perhaps you have already assumed by the contents of this site, but if you can’t I’ll admit to you right here and now that I love researching, reading, and writing about hockey’s darkest and most forgotten corners. I always get asked why I wrote a book about the Seals, and it’s mostly because they were so weird and so unknown back in the late 1980s when I first stumbled upon that photo of George Swarbrick in my May 1988 issue of Hockey Illustrated. Anyway, during my recent leafing through electronic newspapers looking for interesting articles on the old Scouts and Caps, I stumbled upon a good one that I hadn’t found while putting together my book on the Seals. Apparently, the Seals and Scouts got into a bit of a kerfuffle after the two teams met for the first time. The Kansas City Times‘ Jay Greenberg even declared that a new Oakland-Kansas City rivalry was born on that night, but in the end that never happened. In fact, neither city would have a hockey team less than two years later, but the bickering between Scouts’ coach Bep Guidolin and the Seals’ brass was quite amusing, so check out the article here.

There is also a brand new induction to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame. This week, in honour of the Vancouver Canucks two best first-round picks (of course, I mean the Sedin twins), who announced their retirement a few days ago, we feature former first-round Canuck bust Alek Stojanov in undoubtedly his most awkward card.

Weekly reminder time: don’t forget to cast your votes for the Seals Hall of Fame’s 2018 inductions, and you can also vote for your favourite Seals/Barons jersey in the surveys section. You should also head on over to Amazon to pick up Golden Seals Hockey subscriber Reg Lansberry’s new book, 9 Goals, which tells the tale of the New York Rangers’ incredible and improbable finish to the 1969-70 season. For those of you unfamiliar with that strange season, let’s just say the Montreal Canadiens missed the playoffs despite racking up 92 points, while the Oakland Seals snuck in with a mere 58. I’m still waiting for my copy of 9 Goals to arrive in the mail; at just over $20 Canadian, take the plunge and have a copy sent your way too.

Until next time, stay gold!