Hi everyone! Let me begin by saying Wow… and I sincerely mean, WOW! Has this been a breathtakingly calamitous week for the Chicago Blackhawks or what? Not only has this storied franchise been shaken to its very core with the recent sexual assault accusations (Shame! SHAME!) and its fallout, to add insult to injury, the Hawks have been absolute crap on the ice. I thought Montreal had been sucking pretty badly this season, but man, I’d hate to be a Hawks fan right now. Site subscriber Mark Harris wrote to me the other day to point out that an old Seals futility record (were there any other kinds of records for the Seals?) had fallen. Apparently, the 1970-71 Seals had gone 324 minutes and 25 seconds without taking lead in a game, but the 2021-22 Blackhawks actually went a whopping 366 minutes and 41 seconds without taking a single lead. Not only did the Hawks set a new record, they absolutely blasted the old one out of the water. So good news for Seals fans everywhere: another ignominious record wiped from the books. Another Seals record that has since fallen was of course the 232 penalty minutes they and the Philadelphia Flyers accumulated this very week 48 years ago. Of course, that was the infamous night the Flyers attacked Seals defenseman Mike Christie in the penalty box.

While there are not many Seals records that still stand today, one thing did not change in the years after the team left Oakland. At least, one thing didn’t change in the years immediately after the team’s move to Cleveland, and that would be the team’s propensity for making bad decisions and living to regret them. This week, we dive deep into Gary Webster’s excellent new book, The NHL’s Mistake by the Lake: a History of the Cleveland Barons. I had been waiting anxiously for the book to arrive in my mailbox, but Amazon took its sweet time sending it to me, so I’m a bit late in posting my review, but fear not, the big day has finally arrived. You can head on over to the Seals Literature section to read all about Webster’s new book. It is a real hoot. As an added bonus, you can also listen to the interview he recorded with Tim Hanlon of Good Seats Still Available this summer. Just scroll down the page to episode 225 to hear the interview.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! It’s been one suuuuuuucktacular season in Montreal! 0-5. Oh and freakin’ five!

As I write this entry this Saturday evening, Montreal is currently leading Detroit 5-1 as the 2nd period is winding down, so my hopes are certainly up that the goose egg will be broken before 11pm tonight, but part of me is cringing about the possibility of a Wings comeback. Believe it or not, tonight is the first night I’ve actually witnessed a Montreal goal. Most evenings I don’t actually start watching games until 8:30 or so since I’ve got to put one or both of my kids to bed. So first periods and the majority of second periods don’t exist for me unless the game takes place anywhere West of Chicago. For some reason, every Montreal goal this season, prior to tonight, all FOUR of them, have been scored in the first or second periods. Hopefully, all of these trends are going to bid the team goodbye before long.

On a more positive note, I am deep into Gary Webster’s new book on the Cleveland Barons, The NHL’s Mistake by the Lake, and so far I’m learning a lot about Ohio’s most infamous hockey venture. It is a fascinating read that all of you will enjoy, I promise. If you enjoyed reading the two chapters about the Barons in my book on the Seals, you’ll enjoy Webster’s book, which goes much more into detail and leaps way into the shadows behind the scenes to expose what went on in Cleveland. I’m hoping to post a full review of the book next week, assuming I get the chance to read the rest in the next few days, so stay tuned.

This week’s article promises to make a lot of you think and reflect on the past. It will make you wonder how Seals history might have turned out differently if a certain Charles O. Finley had purchased the team two years earlier than he did. What? You didn’t know that Finley was thinking of buying the Seals as far back as their first year in the NHL? Just think about it. What if Finley had actually bought the Seals in time for Year Two. He probably would have got bored of the team by 1972, perhaps just in time for someone else with deeper pockets to step in and pay players like Paul Shmyr, Bobby Sheehan, Gerry Pinder and others enough money to keep them away from the WHA. Would the awful 1972-73 and 1973-74 season have ever happened? Would the team have been good enough to bring attendance up and perhaps keep the team in Oakland? I’ll leave you with that to think about…

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Lots to discuss today, so let’s get right to it. I received an interesting email from subscriber Sante Debacco just yesterday, who has done a little Seals research over the years. He discovered that the Seals’ 1971-72 schedule, which happened exactly 50 years ago, falls on exactly the same days as the 2021-22 calendar. In other words, today is Friday, October 15, and way back in 1971, October 15 also fell on a Friday. A little digging will show that October 15, 1971 was not exactly a banner day in Seals history. It was Vic Stasiuk’s first game behind the bench, and while his troops looked great the first 12 minutes of the game, racking up a 4-0 lead over the over-matched Vancouver Canucks, the Seals then completely fell apart losing 9-6. So, to commemorate this interesting night on its true 50th anniversary, I present to you a trio of articles about the game itself, the firing of Fred Glover, and some other off-ice notes. As usual you can find them in the articles section.

This week, I finally received my copy of Gary Webster’s book on the Cleveland Barons, The NHL’s Mistake By The Lake. I’ve only had the time to read the first 30 pages or so, but so far it is a good read. I’m just getting to the part where the Cleveland crew is getting ready for the 1976-77 season, so I imagine things to downhill pretty fast for the team afterwards. Never saw the Barons play, I might add; I just get that feeling things don’t turn out so well, but who knows, books have surprised me in the past. Anyway, when I finish the book I will be sure to post a review, but don’t wait around for me, folks, go get yourself a copy today.

So that’s about it for this week. I look forward to catching a few hockey games on the TV this weekend, although if Montreal’s first two games are any indication, I feel they will be sharing a few negative traits with those aforementioned Barons before long. It’s looking like it’s going to be a long season, but hey, we’re all here because we’re Seals fans, so we’re used to losing, right?

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! I hope everyone has been enjoying the return of a (relatively) normal NHL. I say “relatively” because there is still a lot that is completely bonkers. We’ve got players who are being forced to sit out because they refuse to get the COVID vaccine (seriously, did anyone ever think they would read that sentence?). Can’t say I disagree with the league making that decision; I just can’t believe this is the point we’re at in world history. Then we have Tony DeAngelo, who actually got himself a new job in Carolina (seriously, did anyone ever think they would read that sentence?). And we’ve also got Carey Price taking a much-needed rest to battle some mental health issues, not to mention Shea Weber probably out of action for good. Yes, Montreal is going to be absolutely sucktacular this year… But we also got that new Leafs documentary showing how their cockiness and overinflated heads would lead them to yet another first-round collapse, so not all is bad right now.

Yes, it has been an off-season full of upheaval, trials, and tribulations, but one could easily argue that the 1972 off-season was actually more uncertain and more tumultuous. That, of course, was the year the rebel World Hockey Association came into existence and forever changed the face of professional hockey. As you all know by now, no other NHL was affected more negatively by the WHA than the California Golden Seals. This week, I’ve added a new article about the Seals’ rocky 1972 off-season, that difficult period between the Seals’ season ending 8-game winless skid and the start of the 1972-73 season when the core of the team had been stripped by the WHA. Gone were Gerry Pinder, Bobby Sheehan, Wayne Carleton, Paul Shmyr, Gary Kurt, Tom Webster, Gary Jarrett, and Ken Baird. In other words, the Seals present and future were pretty much wiped out by the renegade league and it’s surprisingly thick pocket-books. This article by the Oakland Tribune‘s John Porter is a rather interesting one as it makes the case that the 1972 Major League Baseball strike may have indirectly led to the Seals losing half their team.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving, that is if you live in Canada. If you live in the States, I guess Happy Columbus Day. Enjoy the day off, stay safe, and take advantage of the last bits of nice weather if you’re lucky enough to have it. Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! October is here, and you know what that means… the start of a new NHL season. Hopefully, a season that won’t be rudely interrupted or altered or screwed up by that God-awful virus that’s been running rampant these last, 17 months… 18… oh hell, I’ve lost count. Let’s think about happier times, shall we. Like the 1968-69 season, when the Oakland Seals were the talk of the West Division thanks to their spunky first line of Ted Hampson, Gary Jarrett, and Bill Hicke, their flashy young defender Carol Vadnais, and their rookie-of-the-year candidate Norm Ferguson. Those were good days to be a Seals fan… unless you paid too close attention to the many newspaper articles predicting the team’s demise due to fan apathy and incompetent ownership. There I go again getting all negative… Sorry, folks. That said, you can check out this week’s new article from the January 30, 1969 Fremont Argus. Clarence Campbell had lots to say about the Seals’ sorry state, and he didn’t hold back.

If you want to drive out those negative thoughts and get back to laughing a little bit, you will want to head over to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame. The Overexposed wing’s patron saint, Dave Gagner, is back once again to show us how he was not only the most emotive hockey player of all-time but that he was also the sport’s most unfortunate target of a systematic attempt to subvert his career and sully his good name. You will have to go read this week’s newest induction to find out what I mean.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! We’re back after a one-week hiatus. Allow me to explain my absence. Last Friday, the wife and I, along with the two kids, went to a neighbour’s house for a barbecue. It was a nice night with good food, cold beer, and kids playing with themselves, meaning the adults got to sit back and just enjoy each other’s company. The kids had a great time spinning themselves silly on a disc-shaped swing. We only live about two minutes away, but we took the car anyway just because it was easier to drag the kids around and all their travel belongings. Anyway, we leave around 7:30 planning to put the kids to bed around 8, but our plans quickly changed. We get into the house around 7:32 or so and we’re there for about a minute, minute and a half when my son asks if he can watch a short TV show before putting on his pyjamas. Well, before he even finishes making his request, out came the vomit all over the couch and all over the living room floor. He did make it to the bathroom for the final explosion, which landed in the sink. Sooooo… that changed our plans. Now we’ve got two kids to put to bed AND a bunch of puke to clean up and a couch and floor to shampoo. That meant no site update that night. After that, my wife and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary so it wasn’t exactly the best time to concentrate on my hockey history website. Anyway, I’m back and I’ve got a new Seals article for you.

This week, we focus the spotlight on Al “Spud” MacAdam, one of three Prince-Edward-Island natives. Of course, Prince Edward Island is world famous for its potato production, which explains MacAdam’s nickname. This week’s article doesn’t really go much into MacAdam’s upbringing or home province, but it does allow MacAdam himself to weigh in on his hot start to the 1975-76 season, but also the Seals’ chances of success. What becomes clear when reading the article is that MacAdam was a very humble individual who certainly shied away from the limelight. Hope you enjoy it.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! As the heading indicates, today we dive deep into the 1974-75 season, the famous year in which the Washington Capitals shocked the world by winning a grand total of 8 games, Bobby Orr won his second scoring title and his eighth straight Norris Trophy, and Ken Dryden returned to the NHL after a one-year layoff. Of course, this is also the year in which the California Golden Seals had no owner, unless you count the NHL itself. In essence, the Seals were orphaned late in the 1973-74 season when Charlie Finley sold the team to the league, and the NHL wanted nothing more than to offload its problem child as soon as possible, but when your child is constantly using your credit card to run up debts, it becomes difficult to find someone to take him off your hands and give him a job. OK, that probably doesn’t make sense, so forget about that last part, but what you should do is read the interesting article from the December 5, 1974 Hayward Daily Review detailing the Seals troubled financial history and how the team was bleeding the NHL dry. It also includes some interesting details on Barry van Gerbig’s antitrust suit against the NHL and how it was causing the league endless headaches. Hope you enjoy it!

That’s about it for this week. Remember folks that the NHL season starts in exactly one month and a day, so enjoy planning those hockey pools as you close up your swimming pools! Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Well, it’s been an interesting week. I’m finally back to work full-time so the holidays are over. The little one is officially a daycare kid. And ABBA is releasing new music 40 years after their last album. Whaaaaaat? Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for late-70s pop culture, whether that be sports, TV, movies, or music, so hearing two great new songs from Sweden’s greatest exports (sorry, Alfie) got me all worked up yesterday. I just love it when news drops of a new album from an older generation band. New Journey? Sign me up! Iron Maiden getting ready to unleash Eddie once again? Bring it on! Angus Young is going to start pulling his pants down during concerts again? Ah, well… ok, I guess if I want new AC/DC stuff, I have to accept some wrinkly Australian butt. ABBA creating a bunch of hologram versions of their 1979 selves and taking them on tour? Awesome! Call me a nerd, call me a dinosaur… whatever; I’m over 40 now, so I don’t have to take any s#!t from anyone claiming their favorite bands are cooler. Let the kids listen to Cardi B and Drake, I’ll take my 1970s legends, thank you very much.

Of the two new songs released yesterday, my favorite is “Don’t Shut Me Down”, truly a callback to ABBA’s heyday. It sounds remarkably similar to what they were doing over 40 years ago, which considering these four are all in their mid-70s now, blows my mind. The title of this song is my segue to this week’s new article from the last day of March 1977. The Cleveland Barons were basically a lame duck franchise by this point, all but assured of dying a quick death once the calendar turned over to April. I don’t think one member of the Barons expected the team to not be shut down. The Philadelphia Flyers were in Cleveland to basically kick the Barons’ collective asses to the curb, but something truly stunning happened that night. The Barons didn’t lose! The Barons fought the Bullies off! The fans (a better than average 10,000+ in fact) actually came out to wish the team well. So, this article from the Elyria Chronicle-Telegraph is all about that final home game of 1976-77, which turned out to not be the final home game in Cleveland Barons history. While ABBA refuses to be shut down, the same couldn’t be said for the old Barons, who, as you all know, officially died in 1978. You can read the new article right here.

Thanks for coming by and enjoy the Labour Day long weekend! Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! After a one-week absence, here is a brand new update for you, and the much-awaited return of the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame. First off, a humorous article from a 1973 issue of the Hockey News which does very little to provide any actual historical facts about our favorite sad-sack franchise. What it does however, is present the Seals in a lighter light, and if Seals fans needed something in January 1973, it was humour. Man, those were dark days. I’m kind of glad I was born six years later and never actually lived through it. Anyway, enjoy this funny piece from Geoffrey Fisher.

In the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame, be sure to check out Brendan Gallagher’s musings on life, love, and empty stomachs. One of our more philosophical entries, you will take a deep journey into the inner reachings of your mind. You may question your place in the universe. You may wonder what you can do to be a better person. You may just feel something churning in your gut. Could be a higher calling. Could be gas. You’ll probably feel nothing at all, honestly, but I’m trying to sell this thing, ok? So, just go check it out.

That’s it for this week, folks. Take it easy, enjoy the last few days of summer before the kids go off to school, and keep yourselves safe and healthy.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Here we are once again in that time of year when there is almost no hockey news to speak of. The Entry Draft is over, the Expansion Draft has come and gone, and all the good free agents have been signed. I’m even running out of new Hockey News articles to read during breakfast time. Whatever is a simple man to do? Go on holidays, I guess, which seems weird considering I just got off eight weeks of parental leave exactly two weeks ago. Now that we’re all vaccinated at the Currier homestead, and the wife and I have booked some time off, it’s time to do a little travelling for the first time in over a year. Next stop, the Eastern Townships to visit my wife’s family, which we’ve all been looking forward to for a while, especially our 5-year-old son. I look forward to indulging in some Jerry’s pizza, some Bull’s Head ginger ale, and some local Lennoxville craft beer. That said, there won’t be an update next week as I will be heading to the hills once again, where Internet access as more rare than a unicorn sighting, so I hope you enjoy this week’s new stuff.

This week’s new article comes from January 31, 1972, a day after Gilles Meloche recorded his second straight shutout, a team record. The team was surging, even competing for third place in the West Division. Two weeks had gone by since the white skates were introduced, and to that point, white had never looked so good. Had the Seals qualified for the playoffs, maybe white skates would have caught on. Instead, the team faltered (possibly under the weight of the heavily painted white skates) and fell out of the playoff race. The Seals would never come so close to a playoff spot again. But in January 1972, life was good, so if you want to reminisce about these memorable days, check out this week’s new piece right here.

I hope you all enjoy the nice summer weather while it lasts. See you in a few weeks! Stay gold!