“Carnie’s Comments – Hockey Cards” (by Rob Carnie) – Jan. 31, 2024 – download here
This is a short piece from DiscoverMooseJaw.com. Rob Carnie tells the story of how he once asked for former Seal Bill Hicke’s autograph, but somehow ended up with nothing at all. And I do mean nothing! Much thanks to Pete Manzolillo for sending me the link to this article.
“King Cobra” (by Bill Libby) – Goal Magazine: Volume IV, Issue 14 (1977) – download here
In this Goal magazine feature on former Seal and Baron Gary Simmons, Bill Libby gets the Cobra to talk about his 0-0 tie against Los Angeles, his tattoos, rodeos, and his interest in aboriginal culture. The article was written a short time after Simmons was traded (with Jim Moxey) to L.A. for Juha Widing and Gary Edwards. Thanks to John Heberling for sending the Goal magazine my way!
“The Barons Boosters – The Club That Won’t Quit” (by Phil Hartman) – Nov. 25, 1980 – download here
A lot of people think the Seals Booster Club is the most dedicated in all of pro sports. Imagine still supporting a team that moved away over forty years ago. The Cleveland Barons, however, also had a loyal bunch of followers, although they also were supporters of other Cleveland hockey clubs as well, such as the WHA Crusaders and the American League Barons. This great article from the Cleveland Press was sent to me by Seals fan Pete Manzolillo: “It’s incredible how people usually misspell my name, yet an article from a Cleveland newspaper in which one of the club members from Cleveland gave the reporter my name actually managed to spell it right! Great bunch of folks, I got to meet them all at a Booster Club convention in NY in 1978.” Thanks Pete! Hope I got your name right…
“Seal Crazy After All These Years” – Jan. 3, 1988 – download here
It’s hard to believe, but in 1988, when this San Francisco Examiner article was published, it had only been eleven or so years since the Seals uprooted and moved to Cleveland, so at this point in time the Booster Club was still a pretty large organization. What were they up to at this point? Read on to find out.
“Seals Booster Club Still Alive” (by Dwight Chapin) – Sep. 29, 1991 – download here
By 1991, the Seals Booster Club was still going strong, and was even growing in enthusiasm thanks to the expansion San Jose Sharks who were just getting ready to start their first season in the NHL. Find out in this San Francisco Examiner article what the Boosters thought of the Gund Brothers as well as who were the main players in the club.
“Seals Were Flip Flops Of the NHL” (by Tony Cooper) – Oct. 10, 1991 – download here
I think I received this article from the good people at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum sometime in the mid-1990s. I had asked them if they had any information on the California Golden Seals, and someone was nice enough to send me three or four interesting articles from local newspapers. This article comes from the San Francisco Chronicle in the days leading up to the San Jose Sharks’ regular-season debut, and it serves as a great introductory article to the history of the Seals, because it is full of short anecdotes and bizarre tales.
“A Team Sealed With Golden Memories” (by Ross McKeon) – Jan. 15, 1997 – download here
When the Seals left for Cleveland July 14, 1976, they left behind a long string of memories that dated all the way back to 1961 when the San Francisco Seals joined the Western Hockey League. In January 1997, it was a reunion of sorts for the old Seals as they gathered (along with a few alumni from the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks) to take on the NHL Alumni all-stars. The odd arrangement was made because the All-Star Game hosts from San Jose, whose team was but five-and-a-half years old, hardly had any noteworthy alumni, so several members of the Seals, including Dennis Maruk, Gary Simmons, Gilles Meloche, and many others were called back into action. Leading up to the game, there was a bit of a renewed interest in the old Seals, including this article from the San Francisco Examiner‘s Ross McKeon.
“Interview with Former NHL Goalie Gary Simmons” (by Lyle Richardson) – Feb. 2-4, 2007 – download here
Fox Sports blogger Lyle Richardson conducted a fantastic, funny, and insightful interview with Seals legend Gary Simmons that all fans of his will enjoy. The article is no longer online, but I had saved it on my computer several years ago, and I just copied it into Word and converted it into a .pdf file. I spoke to Gary as well a few years ago, and he’s a great story-teller who deserves to have a book written about him.
“Mick Kern and the Search for Stan Gilbertson” (by Mick Kern) – Jan. 7, 2016 – download here
For many years, people believed Stan Gilbertson had just vanished into thin air. Sirius XM Radio’s Mick Kern took it upon himself to find out.
“Dennis Maruk: Unappreciated Super Sniper” (by Ihor Stelmach) – May 29, 2020 – download here
Dennis Maruk was always the NHL’s most anonymous superstar whether he was playing in Oakland, Cleveland, Washington, or Minnesota. It’s hard to believe that a guy who had a 60-goal season, a 50-goal season, and 5 30-goal seasons only participated in two all-star games. I also didn’t include his 1976-77 season when he fell just short and scored 28 goals but at the same time set a Seals/Barons record with 50 assists and 78 points. No, he didn’t even represent the Barons in the all-star game that year, and in his three seasons with the franchise, only appeared once. Had he not suffered a career-ending injury in 1988-89, he probably would have hit the 1,000-game mark for his career, and maybe even 1,000 points for his career. He also scored 36 points in 34 career playoff games, so he gave it his all when games mattered most. This article comes from the Ukrainian Weekly and it celebrates the career of the NHL’s most underappreciated super star.
“How the Barons Became the Sun Valley Suns” (by Phil Hecken, with Lex Levy) – Sep. 21, 2019 – download here
If you’ve ever wondered what happens to the uniforms of teams that fold, wonder no more! Sometimes, they end up in Idaho. I guarantee you will learn something if you read this awesome piece. Note: if you would like to read the article in its original form, I invite you to head over to Uni-Watch.com by clicking on this link.
“Life and hockey: Jim Neilson’s story prompts a push for the Hall” (by Kevin Mitchell) – Jan. 18, 2019 – download here
There are many hockey historians who believe Jim Neilson is deserving of a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the arguments are compelling. Over 1,024 games, he scored 69 goals and 299 assists, played in four All-Star games, and was even named to the famed 1972 Team Canada that took on the Soviet Union, but was forced to decline the invitation due to a knee injury. He was a dedicated defensive defenseman who always put the team’s goals-against total more seriously than his own offensive numbers. This article from the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix details many aspects of Neilson’s life growing up in an orphanage in Prince Albert, starring for the New York Rangers, and his contributions to the Cree Nation.
“The Cleveland Barons’ NHL Existence Was A Short And Spectacular Disaster (by Vince Guerrieri) – May 23, 2018 – download here
This is a nice piece that covers the two-year history of the Barons, but what is most interesting about it is the rare photos within the article as well as the details of the Barons’ merger with the Minnesota North Stars.
“Reggie Leach – Getting to This Point” (by Jim Amodeo) – download here
Reggie Leach is, no question about it, one of the most talented, if not THE most talented offensive talent to ever toil for the California Golden Seals. The guy had all-star written all over him long before he ever became one with the Philadelphia Flyers. In this article, from Jim Amodeo’s website “Hockey Then & Now”, Reggie talks about growing up in Flin Flon, Manitoba, his years with the Bruins, Seals, and Flyers, how he learned to live without alcohol, and how he has used his fame as a way to positively influence young native children.
“To tend goal for the greatest junior team ever” (by Nathaniel Oliver) – download here
Ted Tucker played just five games at the highest professional level, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t NHL ready. His 1-1-1 record and 3.39 goals-against average were not too shabby considering he accomplished both with the 1973-74 California Golden Seals, easily the lowest point in the history of the franchise. This is one lengthy article, and it tells you everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Ted Tucker. It is an excellent read so check it out. I took the liberty of making a pdf version of the article just in case the link to the online version ever changed, but if you prefer the original version, please check it out at Nathaniel Oliver’s Musings of a Hockey Enthusiast web site.
“Two Decades Later, Seals Boosters Keep the Faith (by Scott Surgent) – download here
The Seals Booster Club is known today as one of the most loyal fan organizations in the world. Think about the fact they have had no team to cheer for since 1976, yet they still get together every month or so to chat about the Seals and organize various events. There aren’t nearly as many members as back in their heyday in the mid-1970s, mostly due to the ravages of Father Time, but as long as there exists people volunteering to put on a Seals jersey, the Booster Club will continue on. This article by Scott Surgent, comes from 1999, and it goes into great detail about what the club is about, and it talks in great length about the club’s former president, the late Ty Toki.