Hi everyone! What a rollercoaster week in the NHL! Blockbuster trades galore! It feels like we’re back in the old 21-team NHL. Boy, those were the days, weren’t they? Sometimes, I feel the art of the trade is a thing of the past. I remember back when I was a kid how it was commonplace for a star player to be dealt straight up for another superstar, and it never had anything to do with contracts, salary caps, or player-approved trade lists. I have a hard time remembering the last time a mid-season trade like this week’s Rantanen-Hall-Necas transaction happened. And then it was followed up with the Flyer-Flames and Rangers-Canucks deals that transpired just a few hours before I posted this. I love how GM’s are pulling the trigger on big deals long before the trade deadline, and I am curious to see if this strategy is more effective. I want to say that giving the new players time to get acclimated to their new surroundings is a sound move, but only time will tell.

I don’t have much of a segue to this week’s new Seals material except that the article I’ve posted this week also took place in January, at a time when the Seals were also thinking playoffs, something that had not even seemed plausible a year or two earlier. This year, however, the Seals had gone for broke with the youngsters, and after a couple of difficult months, they began to put it all together and posted more wins than losses. This week’s article, from the January 7 Palo Alto Peninsula Tribune Times was published a day after the Seals had soundly defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-1. Now that I think of it, this is something else I really miss in hockey: the massive underdog victory. Nowadays, no matter how bad a team is, does it really shock anyone when that team beats a Stanley Cup contender? I’m not surprised at all if San Jose beats up on Washington or Edmonton. No team is truly that bad in today’s NHL, but back in 1975, when the Seals beat a contender, it was big news. I remember when I was interviewing players for my last book on the Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Cup, some of the guys I talked to still remembered beating Boston or Montreal because it was more unlikely than seeing Halley’s Comet twice in the same day. Back in January 1975, the Seals were sitting pretty inching their way closer to a playoff spot, and even though they failed in their quest, the future looked brighter than it had in a long time. You can read all about the Seals’ big win and their sudden turnaround right here.

And that’s it for this week. Thanks for stopping by once again. Thanks also to Kristie Kitchens who generously sent me a beautiful authentic Seals t-shirt and hockey-themed stuffy. I will post pictures of them soon, and I think you will agree, they are wonderful memorabilia to own. Never having been to California, let alone having lived there, I imagine I’m the only person in Ottawa with a vintage Seals t-shirt.

Until next time, stay gold!