Hi everyone! Welcome back to Golden Seals Hockey. Free agency is now upon us, finally, and the entry draft has come and gone, but everything feels kind of empty, doesn’t it? It just doesn’t feel right to be talking about free agency and drafts in October. Maybe we need to get back into the way-back machine and look at when many members of the Seals were looking to negotiate new contracts, which was not always easy during the Finley era. This week, you can read all about the struggles faced by the Seals’ impending free agents in this Hockey News article from March 9, 1973.

In keeping with this week’s theme, our latest Overexposed card features Jeff Petry, once of the Edmonton Oilers, but now (still) with the Montreal Canadiens after having re-upped for another four years for $25 million. You’ll find however, that he is definitely not the centre of attention on his own card, which is probably a good thing, as any of you who read these inductions understand that when a player is the main focus of one this site’s cards, it is for all the wrong reasons. And if you really want to know why we’re diving deep into the fibres this week, well look no further than this week’s induction.

Anyway, that’s about it for this week. Just want to say thanks to all those of you who have picked up the new paperback version of my book now available on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca. Stay safe and enjoy the off-season! Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Hey, how about the Lightning winning the Cup in 6? Just like I called it! Good job, Steve!

To celebrate this most minor of victories, I spent a little time on eBay looking for some classic cards. After all, with this pandemic pretty much ensuring I will never be heading to the mall ever again, I’ve got some extra coin burning a hole in my pocket. I decided I would look into completing the 1977-78 O-Pee-Chee set, one of my absolute favorites. I started collecting cards from this set back in the early 1990s when I knew absolutely nothing about cards. All I knew was I liked this set. It wasn’t all that expensive (there are no major rookies cards in it), there were lots of great action shots and weird uniforms a-plenty. It’s also where my love of old cards started.

I remember one day finding in my basement among a bunch of old Esso album stickers a package of 17 team logo cards from that set (I was missing Vancouver for some reason). The funny thing was I remembered seeing those cards before, but I don’t know how they got into my house. Back in the fifth grade, we had done some sort of project and one of my classmates brought in a bunch of old cards, including these with logos I didn’t recognize at all. The Colorado Rockies? Who the hell were they? And what was up with the “stick-in-a-box” Canucks logo? Where was the “spaghetti skate” thing? Anyway, I think we ended up taking these cards and taping them onto a bristol board. The thought of desecrating cards from that era still makes me cringe. I’m assuming the girl who brought those cards in to class took them back home after (not sure if her Dad ever okayed her to bring them in and use them like we did). Then a few years later I found the same cards with tape marks all over them in my basement.

See the tape at the bottom of, and the tape mark at the top of the Colorado Rockies’ card? Your guess is as good as mine how it got there. And by the way, the backgrounds of those cards are supposed to be white, much like the white on the background of this webpage.

Now, I’ve never stolen anything in my life, and I never would have stolen these cards, but I have a strange feeling that these are the same cards we used for our project. I’m really not sure, though. They may have been accidentally put in that box of Esso stickers by my uncle who gave them to us, but when I asked if they were his he said no. Where those cards came from, I’ll never know, but they were my entry into the 1977-78 set, and I’ve decided to make a concerted effort to complete it. I consider the cards I receive in the mail every few days to be a sort of “pandemic present” to me.

Anyway, on to more important business, namely the “Biggest Seals Fan” contest. Thanks so much to all those who sent in entries vying for the coveted title, but there can only be one winner. Here is the winning entry from Pete Manzolillo:

“I’m the biggest Seals fan as I was rooting for them from 3,000 miles away on Long Island where it was difficult to get any news about them. I listened to every game I could on the east coast teams’ radio stations, staying up until 1 a.m. on a school night huddled with the radio next to my bed for games from Oakland. I heard some great upsets over Philly and Boston but also the Capitals’ first road win. I also painted my skates gold and green and my goalie mask teal with the wordmark across the front.”

For his great story, Pete will receive an autographed copy of my book (new paperback version, now available on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com!). Congratulations, Pete!

Note: a few days after announcing Pete’s win, he sent me this photo pretty much proving he wasn’t lying about his Seals obsession:

There is also a new photo for you to check out, a March 1973 cover of Hockey Digest, which I also picked up on eBay, and also a new cardboard catastrophe featuring former Boston Bruins star Jozef Stumpel in the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame. Enjoy!

Whew! That was one long post! Hope you made it all the way through. Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone and welcome back! This week, we’re featuring to of the baddest men to ever play professional hockey. On the Seals’ side of things, we’ve got Larry McNabb, once known as the unofficial heavyweight champion of the WHL, according to Don Cherry. You can read a classic San Francisco Examiner article all about the night McNabb and a referee got into a bit of a scuffle right here.

In the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame, we feature the NHL’s all-time penalty minute leader, Dave “Tiger” Williams, showing us how to stab a person through the ribs with a hockey stick. You’ll have to check out Tiger’s not-so-classic 1976-77 O-Pee-Chee card right here to find out what I mean.

Don’t forget that you still have one week left to submit your entries to win a free copy of the new paperback version of my book, The California Golden Seals: a Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL’s Most Outlandish Teams. All you have to do is send me an e-mail (stevecurrier@goldensealshockey.com) or a message on the Contact Steve page explaining in 100 words or less why you are the biggest California Seals fan alive. The winner of the contest will be named next Friday, October 9, so get writing, folks!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Welcome back to another update on Golden Seals Hockey! Have we got an exciting announcement for all of you today, but we’ll get to that in a minute. First, this week’s new addition to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame. We’re hopping in the way-back machine and stopping off in 1975 when the Washington Capitals were still in their infancy. That first season did not go well for the poor Caps, as they won just one road game (against the Seals) and finished the campaign dead last at 8-67-5. One would think they would have finished higher considering the human experimentation that was going on in D.C. In fact, many people don’t know that the Capitals may have been the first hockey team, maybe the first sports franchise to ever employ a two-headed player. You read that right folks, and as usual, I can hear you sighing and not believing me. Come on, did you think I would just drop a bombshell like that on you, and not back it up with some photo evidence? Take a stroll down the Overexposed wing to see for yourself what really went on in Washington oh so many years ago.

And now on to the big news…

As you know, my book, The California Golden Seals: a Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL’s Most Outlandish Teams is going to paperback October 1, and to celebrate the occasion I would like to announce a new contest in which the winner will win an autographed copy of the book! The contest couldn’t be any easier too. All you have to do is write me an e-mail at stevecurrier@goldensealshockey.com or here at Contact Steve and explain, in 100 words or less, why YOU are the biggest, most dedicated California Golden Seals fan. The contest will remain open until October 9, on which day the winner will be announced. Good luck to all of you, and may the best man or woman win!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Well, we’re down to the nitty gritty in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the mug is going to end up somewhere in the deep South this year. I think Tampa is finally going to do it after coming so close so many times. That four-game sweep against Columbus last year was a real wake up call, much like the New York Islanders endured in 1979 when they were beat by the Rangers. They didn’t lose another playoff round until 1984. I’m not saying the Lightning is going to start a new hockey dynasty, but I think they’ve got a Cup in them this year at least. They kept their foot off the gas just a little bit during the regular season, sacrificed a few points to stay fresh in the playoffs, and now they are being rewarded. They went all out last year and won 62 games, yet zero in the playoffs. They learned. I pick Tampa in six.

I realized recently that it has been a long time since I posted any links to Seals-related audio or video, so this week, I’ve added new links to great interviews with Wayne Carleton, Dennis Maruk, and Rick Smith, which you can find here. You can find all of these interviews and many more from other legends of the sport at the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast.

If there is anyone who has not already pre-ordered their paperback copy of my book The California Golden Seals: a Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL’s Most Outlandish Teams, the University of Nebraska Press is making you a special offer, and you can download the flyer right here. which will get you 40% off the cover price! WOW!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! This week, part two of our exploration of the Cleveland Barons’ near death in February 1977. As we left the Barons last week, the team was basically dead and people were having their mail forwarded to their parents’ home until they found out where they were playing next, if they even had a spot on a professional roster. This week, the Barons rise from the dead! Just one day after the Barons’ death was announced, a miraculous resurrection. Unlike most resurrections, from Jesus to Jon Snow (spoiler alert!) where the person’s return is hailed as a great moment that will forever change history, in the case of the Barons we find the most disappointed bunch of hockey players you ever did see. You can read all about how the Barons were saved, as well as a special bonus article about the team’s first game afterwards here.

In the Overexposed section this week, we feature the former Toronto Maple Leaf Leo Komarov doing his impression of a Florida-based creature that spends a lot of time in the water, and I’m not talking about a crocodile either. If you haven’t figured out which animal I’m talking about, and you skipped over the title of today’s post, you can find out here.

That’s about it for this week. Have yourselves a great weekend, and stay responsible and safe out there. Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Lately, the media has been accused of publishing fake news, being less than objective, and posting stories before getting all the facts straight. Yes, 2020 has not been kind to the media, which for many, many years, was the only way to get our hands on information about current events. Now, I don’t want to dump on reporters and writers; they are doing the best they can in a very difficult time. They get drenched by waves in the middle of hurricanes, they get rubber bullets sprayed at them as they report on riots, and they get wild animals biting them in the face as they try to interview the local zookeeper. Being a reporter is hard work, and they get nothing but grief. That being said, back in February 1977, some media members were a little too quick to predict the dissolution of the Cleveland Barons. Sure, the Barons were basically in a coma and on life support at that point, but sometimes people do wake up, and the Barons did exactly that. You can read all about the premature death of the Barons in the articles section.

And for all of you sumo fans out there, and I know there are dozens of you out there, you will definitely want to check out the first hockey-sumo crossover in NHL history. At least, its the first one, as far as I know, that has been immortalized on cardboard, and it is being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Shame’s Overexposed wing, which you can visit right here.

I hope everyone has a great Labour Day weekend and is able to enjoy the final days of warm-ish weather. At least, up here in Ottawa, warm-ish is about all we can hope for in September, but I’ll take it as long as it’s sunny. Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Well, my beloved Habs are once again out of the playoffs, but it was a nice 10-game run, a run that never would have happened in the first place had it not been for COVID. I would have preferred landing Alexis Lafrenière in the draft, but there was no guarantee they were going to win the lottery anyway if they had lost against Pittsburgh. As we’re down to just one Canadian team, here’s hoping Vancouver can continue their string of good luck and great performances and bring Stanley back home.

This week, there is a new article about Walt McKechnie and his on-ice partnership with Joey Johnston and Craig Patrick. McKechnie owed a lot of his career to the Seals, who rescued him from obscurity in Minnesota. He immediately became one of the team’s most productive players and enjoyed three solid seasons in Oakland before going on to greater success in Detroit and Toronto.

And in the Hockey Hall of Shame this week, we have a brand new Overexposed induction featuring former Boston Bruin goaltender Doug Keans dealing with a… shall we say… personal problem. To find out what problem I’m talking about, you’ll have to head on over to this week’s newest Overexposed card.

Until next week, stay gold!

Hi everyone! The contenders are beginning to fall by the wayside. Goodbye Columbus. Goodbye Arizona. Goodbye Chicago. Goodbye Carolina. We’re down to teams 12 now and of those twelve, a couple are teetering on the brink of defeat. By next week at this time, we’ll be down to our final eight teams and then things will get really interesting. I’m particularly looking forward to the second round as so many of the league’s best teams, namely Vegas, Boston and Tampa Bay, are only beginning to gain steam, so we should be in for a real treat. Unfortunately, I will miss the rest of round one since I will be going to the in-laws who live where the Internet forgot to show up, so I’ll be lucky to find out what’s about to happen to my Habs, and the other eleven contenders who are left.

At least these teams got to play at least a few playoff games, unlike the 1971-72 Seals. They came awfully close, though, and one can only wonder if they would have made it with Carol Vadnais in the line-up. On February 23, the Seals were 18-29-14, which put them right in contention for the fourth and final playoff spot in the West Division. GM Garry Young was hoping that by trading the disgruntled Vadnais for Reggie Leach, Rick Smith and Bob Stewart, the Seals would improve their depth at several positions (namely defense). This week, we look into the famous trade since we are nearing the date of Carol Vadnais’s passing August 31, 2014 at the age of 68. You can find a brand new Hockey News article from March 1972 in the articles section.

On that note, I wish you all a pleasant playoff, and I’ll have new stuff for all of you next week upon my return. Until next time, stay gold!

You’ve picked a great time to check out Golden Seals Hockey, my friend! Not only have we got a brand new Overexposed induction featuring wrestling star Chris Jericho’s dad, Ted Irvine, but we’ve also got a brand new Hockey Hall of Shame induction featuring this site’s main subject, the California Golden Seals

The Seals really did nothing to deserve this induction, and in fact, it isn’t really about them either, but rather about the worst-ever California Golden Seals replica jerseys on the Internet today. I don’t know who created some of these, but they obviously had no access to hockey books, hockey cards, newspaper archive or Internet website, because none of these things are even close to being “replicas”. You have to see these for yourself to believe they exist, but I warn you, the shock may take days, even weeks to wear off, much like the sting Leafs fans have been feeling since their heroes fell off the playoff cliff earlier in the week. I’m not a Leafs fan, so I don’t know the feeling myself, but I do like mocking Leafs fans, so I know how I want Leafs fans to feel, and I imagine it isn’t pleasant. Anyway…

You should also check out this week’s cardboard catastrophe, courtesy of O-Pee-Chee. The card says that its photo is of Ted Irvine, but I have my doubts, and you’ll find out why right here. It also contains one of the worst St. Louis Blues jersey renditions ever.

Anyhow, my little girl has been waking up repeatedly this evening, and I may not have much time left before her next crying spell or diaper leak, so I’ll have to wrap this up quickly.Hope everyone is enjoying this year’s playoffs. They’ve been a little unorthodox, but fun nonetheless. The games have been exciting. There have been some surprises. I can’t complain. It’ll be strange not having a new season start in October, and it will be strange seeing someone walk away with the Stanley Cup in the fall, but I’m just glad hockey is back.

Until next time, stay gold!