Hi everyone! I imagine these posts are going to become incredibly boring in the next few weeks now that there is literally no sports, let alone hockey, on TV anymore, and that for the next Lord-knows-how-many weeks. “Thank God for Netflix” is all I can say right now, because we are truly going to need it. All of the schools across the province of Ontario are shutting down for two weeks, not to mention every museum, amusement park, and city-organized activity. Movie theatres are only selling half the tickets they usually do to curb the spread of the Coronavirus, so may or may not be able to take our son out for an afternoon. Oh, March is going to be one interesting month, but rest assured, Golden Seals Hockey is going nowhere! No postponements or cancellations here! Except for all those times I go for long weekends to visit the family in the Townships, but those times and the Coronavirus scheduling issues are strictly a coincidence.

This week, I’ve posted a brand new article, maybe the only article that is even remotely related to what is going on in the world today. I’m talking about the first of just two games in Seals/Barons history to be played after having been postponed. It wasn’t postponed due to disease, but due to the 1972 World Series.

And in a new Overexposed article that has absolutely nothing to do with flu-like symptoms, we present to you the New York Rangers’ Paul Broten in a classic (nah, not really) hockey pose from the 1992-93 Upper Deck set.

Take care of yourselves, folks. Buy lots of Purell, pick up some new hobbies to stave off boredom, and please, for the love of God, stop hoarding toilet paper! You know what I mean.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Before we all start dropping like flies from this new coronavirus thing, we can take some solace in the fact that spring is around the corner, and that winter snowfalls are going to be interspersed with longer warmish periods, smooth morning commutes, and pleasant afternoons basking in the sunshine. That being said, we did have a pretty good dose of snow a few days ago which, for some reason practically shut down all of Ottawa. Maybe it’s the Canadian in me who has just become accustomed to snow to the point where if there isn’t twelve feet of the stuff on the road, I go to work with a smile on my face. The weather experts wanted us all to stay home, because they believed the apocalypse was imminent, and a lot of us did stay home, but not me, and I’m glad I listened to my gut, because not only was there far less snow during the morning commute than expected, but by the afternoon, the roads were nice and clear, and those 40cm they had been predicted for Ottawa, melted almost immediately upon hitting the pavement. I guess we were lucky we didn’t get another 53cm dumping like we got one afternoon about four years ago, but it doesn’t always turn out that way. Sometimes, there is so much snow, you can’t even get out the door. Case in point, January 26, 1978…

This week, I’ve posted an article from the franchise’s final days, about a game in which the Cleveland Barons lost 5-0 in front of just 527 fans. Believe it or not, the game did not take place in the cavernous Richfield Coliseum, but in Chicago Stadium, and fans stayed away because it was just safer to stay home than trudge through a blizzard. You can read it in the articles section.

In the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame, we have a brand new card that asks the question, “Is Mike Ricci having some major digestive issues, or is he just really, really intense about playing hockey?” I’ll let you decide by checking out our brand new induction right here.

Before you head off to do other things in your life, take a few seconds to cast a vote or two for the person you feel deserves to be inducted into the Seals Hall of Fame for 2020. The ballot is on the right side of the screen, and you can vote up to three times per device, so get clicking!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! I think congratulations are in order to one David Ayres for giving the world one incredible and unforgettable story, but it really is hard to believe the Leafs actually lost to a 42-year-old Zamboni driver. Well, not all that hard to believe. After all, this is the Leafs we’re talking about and it wouldn’t truly be in the Leafs’ spirit to not see them sabotage themselves on their way to another fruitless Stanley Cup chase. So, in, ahem, “honour” of one of the lowest moments in recent Leafs history we turn the way-back machine to 1967 when the Seals put their own one-game wonder in net. Only difference was that Tommy Green gave up 11 goals to an expansion team, and the Seals had already wrapped up a playoff spot. At least the San Diego Gulls took advantage of the unusual situation, not that it mattered much because they were dead last in the WHL. The Leafs, on the other hand, were fighting for a playoff spot, and yet couldn’t find the motivation necessary to turn things up a gear. Yeesh! Anyway, you can find this article from 1967, brought out from the mothballs of the site’s archives, right here.

And if you want to better appreciate the wonderfulness that was February 22, 2020, I invite you to head on over to the Hockey Hall of Shame for a brand new induction! If you’re an English major or just a fan of low-brow humour, you are in for a treat, my friend!

Finally, my weekly reminder to place your vote for the 2020 Seals Hall of Fame induction. Sure, there is still lots of time left, but that doesn’t mean you should wait until the last minute! Remember, you can vote up to three times per device, so get clicking! Until next time, stay gold!

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!