Hi everyone! How the hell is everyone doing this week? My favorite time of the year is almost upon us! That’s right, it’s trade deadline time, and you know what that means. It’s the only time of the year (other than Free Agent Sweepstakes Day and Draft Day) when we actually get excited that adding a 15-goal scorer like Tyler Toffoli is going make a difference! Seriously, the dude scored 31 goals four years ago and has come nowhere close since, and yet we still talk about this type of trade like Butch Goring is coming over to deliver a long-awaited Stanley Cup. Not gonna happen ‘Nucks fans, sorry.

That being said, I still go through a lot of emotions at this time of year. Despair because my Habs are going to miss the playoff once again. Nervousness because I desperately want the Leafs to fall flat on their face. (I know, it happens literally EVERY year, but I still get a twinge of anxiety in my gut). I also feel a lot of excitement over what big trade might be just around the corner, but also disappointment when my team does absolutely nothing for the umpteenth time. You know what I need? Dave Gagner! Yes, THAT Dave Gagner. You see, Dave has a mastery of human emotions like no one else. The dude should be an acting teacher or a model for a psychology magazine or something. What, you don’t believe me? Well, you gotta head on over to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame and check out this hockey card legend.

There were also a lot of emotions in Seals Land back in February 1974. This is of course the period when Charlie Finley sold the Seals to the NHL, making just about everybody in the organization breathe a sigh of relief. The team’s entire structure, from team president to the coach was absolutely rocked, but it did the Seals a lot of good as they finally had different people in each position as opposed to the previous regime where Fred Glover did just about everything as Finley hung out in Chicago far away from his many sports teams. There was so much enthusiasm in Oakland in mid-February 1974, and you can read all about it in the articles section.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Well, it’s Valentines’, Day, and like most Valentines’ Days in recent years the Habs are out of the playoff race, or at least, well on their way to the Eastern Conference’s “Second Division”, if you know what I mean. Luckily for me, the Leafs are doing their best to join the Canadiens, not to mention my local Senators, on the golf course. Seriously, with that much talent, how are the Leafs just hanging on to the last playoff position? Columbus loses Panarin, Duchene, Dzingel, and Bobrovsky, and they are actually three points ahead of Toronto in the standings.

Anyway, with this Montreal playoff black hole that is about to envelop my home for the third year in a row, it got me thinking about how tough it must have been to be a Seals fan. They actually missed the playoffs eight years in a row before their miserable streak was ended by a merger with the Minnesota North Stars. By January, let alone February, the Seals were almost always miles out of a playoff spot, and when they took on said North Stars February 26, 1975, that was the case once again. Check out the latest addition to the articles section to find undoubtedly the longest piece we’ve ever featured here. In addition to an article detailing the Seals 3-1 loss, we’ve also included a three-page news release from the Seals themselves to provide a little insight into what was transpiring in the days before the game. So, head on over to the articles section to read the piece.

Don’t forget to also cast your votes for who you believe should be inducted into the 2020 Seals Hall of Fame. You can vote right there on your right, so get clicking! Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! As Eastern Canada gets walloped with a good dumping of snow, I sit here watching an old episode of “Criminal Minds” my wife and I PVRed a few months ago. Maybe it’s all this talk of the American justice system, scrounging for evidence, and criminals sometimes getting away with murder that got me thinking about what bizarre hockey card I should induct this week. As you know, I like theme weeks.

This week, in (ahem) “honour” of the travesty that took place in Washington this week, we’re featuring an interesting new card in the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame that has an obvious connection to the American capital. Is it an orange-skinned figure lurking over a NHL game? Is it a toupee-wearing bald eagle swooping in to steal a puck? Ok, it’s really just a famous monument playing for the New Jersey Devils, like I’m sure you’ve all seen before, but I assure you this card is definitely weird.

This week, there is a new article about the Seals’ star defenseman Jim Neilson, and how his family has been pushing for his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. It’s a wonderful piece that explores some little-known aspects of Neilson’s life growing up in Saskatchewan. Neilson, unlike another who has been in the news lately, is one “Chief” we need to hail. You can find the article over in the Seals/Barons articles section here.

As I leave you this week, don’t forget to cast your votes for the 2020 inductees into the Seals Hall of Fame. And keep those e-mails and comments coming as well as I read every one and enjoy interacting with other Seals fans. Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Well, the All-Star game has come and gone, and now the players get down to the nitty gritty, the second-half push to the playoffs and then the trade deadline when we find out which teams are going to be buyers and which teams are going to be sellers. I love my Habs, but I’m pretty sure at this point that they are going to be sellers. The only question is who is going to stay, and who is going to be looking for a new dwelling. Of course, miracles do happen – Just ask the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues – but with the injuries Montreal has, I don’t expect any celebrating on St. Catherine’s St. this June.

This week, I’ve added a new article featuring the then-newly acquired Wayne Merrick from an old Goal magazine from 1975-76. It was published right around this time of year, when the Seals were just a few points out of a playoff spot in the Adams Division, so enthusiasm was sky high since the team hadn’t been in an actual playoff race since 1972. Merrick in particular was excited about the prospects of playing hockey in mid-April. Little did he know that when the decade ended he was about to embark on a four-Cups-in-four-years run with the New York Islanders. Thanks again to Pete Manzolillo for sending me the article so I could share it with all of you.

There is also a new Overexposed card featured in the Hockey Hall of Shame. It features one of the first, if only, hockey themed superheroes. No, I’m not talking about the Guardian Project, that awful Stan Lee-driven series of characters who were supposed to save the Earth from a hockey-tornado-darkness thing… I really don’t know what it was all about; you’ll have to check out the Guardian Project over here if you have such an insatiable need to find out. All I know is that it was weird, but this week we have a real superhero to gush over, and you can find out who he or she is over in the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame.

In closing this week, don’t forget to cast your votes for the inductees into the Seals Hall of Fame class of 2020. The voting has been close so far, so start clicking to start breaking some ties. You can vote up to three times per device, so come back as often as you like to cast your ballot.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Happy All-Star Weekend! Hope your team wins… oh, who am I kidding, no one really cares about who wins or even participates in this thing anymore. Sure, the skills competition is kinda fun, and the 3-on-3 tournament format has its moments, but it just ain’t the same as a real game, or even 3-on-3 overtime where there are points on the line. I don’t know, sometimes I just feel like hitting the way-back machine and going back to a simpler time and place, like the International League of the early 1970s…

As you may remember, I wrote about Eric Weltner’s new documentary “International Incidents” which includes the history of the Seals’ Columbus farm team. He has sent me a whole whack of photos of the junior Goldens, and you can get a look at them in the photos section. Thanks Eric! Be sure to check out the trailer for his film at https://vimeo.com/372635845 and the official Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/Internationalincidents.

There is also a brand new induction in the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame, a shameful product featuring one-time Edmonton Oiler Luke Richardson courtesy of Upper Deck.

In closing this week, just a reminder that the voting for the Seals Hall of Fame class of 2020 is open and the list of nominees can be found just to your right. Just move your eyes ever so slightly to the right part of your screen… almost there… stop! There you go. Votin’ time!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Welcome back to all of you, I hope. I came to realize a few days ago that this site’s subscribers haven’t been receiving any updates for the last few weeks. Oops! Sorry about that. My bad. I’m still having a few issues with WordPress, and in trying to resolve them, I think I made everything worse. The good news is that I think I’ve made everything right again, so hopefully you’ve all received an e-mail update like in the good old days of October 2019.

So what’s happened since you were all cut off from the Seals’ world? Well, first you need to turn your eyes slightly to the right to see the 2020 nominees for the Seals Hall of Fame. If you’d like any details about this year’s eight deserving candidates, I invite you to check out these men’s biographies in the Seals Hall of Fame section here.

In the articles section, there is a new piece from the January 14, 1970 San Francisco Examiner. The article is about the Seals’ struggles during the 1969-70 season and how several players were on the verge of being sent down to the minors. It also explores Fred Glover’s personality and how the media of the time perceived him. It is an interesting piece and well worth the two minutes it will take to read it, and you can find it in the Seals/Barons articles section.

There are also some new photos up of Gilles Meloche’s Cleveland Barons jersey which now resides in the Hockey Hall of Fame. You can find them right here.

I also received an e-mail from Eric Weltner, whose documentary “International Incidents” includes a history of the Columbus Golden Seals, the California Seals’ IHL farm club. The documentary premieres TODAY so be sure to check it out. The trailer is here: https://vimeo.com/372635845 and the official Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/Internationalincidents/.

Whoa, that’s a lot of new stuff, so enjoy! Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! It’s that time of year once again where you all get to vote for the people you feel are deserving of induction in the Seals Hall of Fame. The candidates this year are probably more diverse than ever before. We’ve got coaches, general managers, two-way players, big-time goal scorers, heart-and-soul players, and playmakers to choose from. One thing is for sure: everyone is deserving of a spot in this Hall of Fame, as they all made a tremendous impact on either the San Francisco Seals, Oakland Seals, California Golden Seals or Cleveland Barons, but it is up to you to decide who makes the cut.

Without further ado, here are the eight candidates from which you can choose:

Fred Glover

Jack Evans

Ray Cyr

Mike Christie

Gerry Ehman

Norman “Bud” Poile

Wayne Connelly

Bill Hicke

You are allowed to vote up to three times per device, and you also have the option of writing in your own selection, which you can do by clicking on the box at the very end of the list of nominees over on the right side of your screen.

If you are having trouble choosing one, two or three candidates, I invite you to head on over to the Seals Hall of Fame where a new page with profiles of each nominee has been created. You can click on the following link (right here) as well if you wish to go there directly.

That’s about it for this week. I’ll be back with more articles and Overexposed cards shortly, so keep coming back to see what new stuff I’ll be posting.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Short update this week since I’m writing this as my three-week old daughter is sleeping next to me on the couch. She’s been kinda in and out of sleep this evening, so she may wake up at any moment needing a bottle or a diaper change, you never know. I’ve had a bit of time these past few weeks to do a little research to complete the San Francisco Seals’ game-by-game summary, and I’m happy to say I’m finally done. If you head on over to the Stats section you will find the updated WHL Seals game summaries, which now includes attendance figures for about 95% of games, as well as which games went to overtime. There are a few corrections here and there as well, but for the most part, it’s mostly attendance and OT indicators. I’d like to thank Chuck Nan for his help in finding the majority of Seals home attendance figures, making my job a lot easier!

Next week, I will be out of town and probably won’t have access to the Internet on a consistent basis, so no update the first few days of January, but I’ll be back the following week. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! Please enjoy the time you spend with your family and friends, and have a happy and healthy new year! All the best to all of you in 2020! Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Well, Christmas is almost upon us, and that means it is the time for giving and receiving… uh, family, of course. The kids will be home for the holidays, and that means lots and lots of fighting between siblings! Oh, how I remember those old Nintendo battles my brother and I would have, constantly arguing over who would be Mario this time around. Usually, it would end up with us being separated so we could each play as Mario. As we got older we found other ways to get on each other’s nerves. “I want to watch this on TV!” “Stop playing guitar! I can’t hear myself think!” “It’s not fair! I need the car tonight!”, etc. Those teenage years must have been hell for my parents. Can’t wait ’til I get there with my kids!

Anyway, I decided to go in a different direction with this week’s Christmas themed post, partly because I found a new article I really liked, and I wanted to find a way to wedge it into the theme of Christmas. In the articles section this week, a great piece from the January 8, 1973 Montreal Gazette. I wish I had seen this article when I was doing research for my book as it has a little bit of everything. Fist fighting? Check. Head butts? Check. Controversy? Check. Battles with ownership? Check. Guys out sick with the flu? Check. If that doesn’t have Christmas written all over it, I don’t know what does.

OK, I hear what you’re thinking: “C’mon, Steve, can’t you post something even remotely positive? After all, it is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope, no?” Yes, you would be correct, so in the true spirit of the holiday season, I present to you this week’s induction to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame. If you like glittery things, I got a card for you that could easily pass for a Christmas ornament. I’m serious, if you hang this piece of cardboard in your tree and you put a coloured bulb next to it, this card will project light like a disco ball. I give you the classic 1995-96 Edge Ice Marty McSorley insert card, which you can read all about in the Overexposed section of the Hockey Hall of Shame.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be rolling out a few more interesting things, notably an updated game-by-game summary of all San Francisco Seals games as well as the nominees for the 2020 Seals Hall of Fame, so be sure to check back frequently. Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another installment of Golden Seals Hockey. Yup, from what you can read in today’s headline, that’s been my last two weeks. New baby girl in the house changing all of our lives, but for the better, of course. The little one came into the world December 3rd at an astonishing 10 lbs., 13 oz., and she spends most of the day eating and sleeping, so I can’t complain too much. It’s eleven o’clock on a Friday, and she’s next to me right now just waking up from another nap and getting ready for another meal. I’ve taken some time off work to help make the transition from family of three to family of four a little easier. That being said, my wife and I have lost a little sleep and, as a result, I’ve actually gone out twice in public this week with my fly unknowingly down. I also almost backed my car into a neighbour’s car as she was backing out of her driveway. My wife and I also thought our daughter’s last doctor’s appointment was yesterday, when in reality it is only next Thursday. Life has been a little weird the last two weeks, but things are starting to settle down again though. I’m learning to take naps whenever I can. I’ve caught up on some classic films here and there. I’m getting lots of work done on my new book. It’s good to be back!

This week, be sure to check out a brand new Overexposed induction featuring the Quebec Nordiques’ Claude Lapointe doing something weird with his mouth. He may be about to blow chunks, but I’m just speculating. Anyway, if seeing big-leaguers trying to hold in their barf interests you, head on over to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame.

Also new this week, a brand new article from September 1976 previewing the Cleveland Barons’ first training camp after their move from Oakland. You can find the piece in the articles section by clicking here.

Until next time, stay gold!