Hi everyone! Normally, when I begin one of these posts, I talk about what’s been going on in the news, or in my personal life. Sometimes, I’m happy or ticked off about something, but this week I’ve decided to just dive into the new additions to the site, and then make a link to something going on in my life. I’d like to take you back to Halloween 1969 when the Seals are enjoying the best start of their brief history, a 4-3-1 mark after eight games. The team was living it up (if you can say that for the perpetually drowning-in-problems Seals) coming off a second-place finish in the West Division and a brutal seven-game first-round loss to Los Angeles. Nevertheless, despite the loss, the team looked like it was on the right track, and the first month of 1969-70 continued that positive trend. Gordie Howe and the Detroit Red Wings were in town, and fans couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing this living legend in the flesh. This week’s article is a nice little fluff piece from the Oakland Tribune‘s Ed Levitt about how the Seals’ fans were becoming more prominent in the Bay Area sports scene. Thanks to Bob Marceau for sending the article my way!

Now that I’ve got that update out of the way, onto more personal matters, but hopefully this will be fun for you too. I’ve added a new page with some info regarding my new book, Mucking In The Corners: Unearthing the 1970s Quirkiest Hockey Tales: chapter titles and links to my Instagram page where some of the stories are elaborated. Much like the Seals and their fans at the end of October 1969, my excitement and enthusiasm will reach a fever pitch right around Halloween as the book will officially see the light of day October 27th here in Canada. For all of you American hockey fans, don’t fret; the book will be available south of the border on November 24th. I can’t express in words how excited I am about its release; unlike my last two books, this one is going to see actual physical bookstore shelves. One of my personal ambitions has always been to walk into an Indigo or Chapters, or even a smaller indie bookstore, and actually pull something I’ve written off the shelf. If I’m feeling particularly bold, I could casually ask a wandering clerk if they would like me to sign the book just to then have them stare at me like, “Dude, who the hell are you?” I’ve got a promo campaign planned out, and I’m slowly unrolling posts, pictures, and articles to different platforms and websites. If weird stories from hockey’s most violent, quirky era are your thing — if you’re here, I’m guessing they are — be sure to check out the details, which I hope will peak your interest. And if you have any questions at all, you know that my inbox is always open, so ask away!

Until next time, stay gold!