Hi everyone! It’s been a long, arduous year for hockey fans everywhere. We’ve had not one, but two seasons interrupted by COVID. If you’re Canadian like me, you weren’t allowed anywhere near an NHL rink until this summer (THAT sounds weird, doesn’t it?). Then again, the Leafs hilariously failed once again (I’ll NEVER forget the sight of beloved Toronto symbol, the CN Tower bathed in Canadiens red-white-and-blue light… priceless, I tells ya.), so not everything went ziggy-zaggy this year.
The voting for this year’s inductees into the Seals Hall of Fame had a few glitches, if you remember. Multiple sites needed to be used to calculate the votes, but once we got all that sorted out, all the ballots were counted and the results are now in. I’m sure you are all excited to find out if your favorites got in. Everyone on this year’s ballot was a worthy candidate, but only three could make the cut.
Drumroll, please… Here are the results of this year’s vote:
Tom Thurlby – 3%
Charlie Burns – 11%
Doug Roberts – 9%
Gary Croteau – 23%
Norm Ferguson – 21%
Joe Starkey – 14%
Fred Glover – 12%
Garry Young – 7%
Congratulations to Gary Croteau, Norm Ferguson, and Joe Starkey on their nominations to our sacred online Hall! No real prize to be handed out, no plaques or trophies, just something to hang your hat on. Something you can mention in interviews, books, etc. if the conversation starts to lag just a bit. You’re welcome!
If you would like to check out the 2021 Seals Hall of Fame inductees page, you can click here.
On a more personal note, I’m happy to announce that the cover photo of my new book, When the NHL Invaded Japan: the Washington Capitals, the Kansas City Scouts and the Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Cup, 1975-76, has been uploaded to the McFarland Press website, so you can check out some of the book’s details, as well as other McFarland books here. You can either pre-order it on the McFarland site or you can do so at Amazon.com. Don’t hold out much hope of reading it anytime soon, however, as the release date is currently listed at January 20, 2022. It still hasn’t been edited yet and I have yet to see the proofs in pdf format. That said, don’t think for a second that your credit card doesn’t want some air and exercise, if you know what I mean, so release that plastic slab from its leather prison anytime, folks!
On a final, sadder note, I regret to inform you that former Seal Bryan “Bugsy” Watson passed away July 8, at the age of 78. My sincerest condolences to the Watson family and to his former teammates.
Until next time, stay gold!