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!

Hi everyone! After one hell of a bad week for the National Hockey League (I’m looking at you Mike Babcock, Bill Peters, and Sutter brothers), it’s time to put all that negativity aside for just a while. The revelations from the past few days have been shocking to say the least. They remind me a little of some of the stories I’ve heard about Bert Olmstead when he was coaching the Seals: skating the players so hard they would puke, locking the players in the dressing room so they couldn’t go home for Thanksgiving. And what about those old Eddie Shore tales we’ve all heard. Players being forced to undergo painful massages and medical experiments from “Doctor” Shore, not to mention tying goaltenders to the net, but I may be confusing that story with the first Mighty Ducks movie. It’s been a long week, what can I say. Either way, it’s about time some of these old coaching practices get put out to pasture.

This week, I’ve posted a brand new-ish article from just this month. I say it is new-ish because it is a reposting of a March 1971 article about the night the expansion Vancouver Canucks ran roughshod over our Seals and established a team record with 11 goals. The Seals would get their revenge two years later, however, when the set a team record of their own, beating the Canucks 11-3. To read the piece head on over to the articles section. Thanks to Pete Manzolillo for making me aware that the article even existed!

Just to let you all know, I will be away from my computer most of next week due to the impending birth of my daughter. My wife is going in for a scheduled C-section this Monday, and I’ll be in and out of the hospital the next few days afterward, not to mention up to my elbows in baby poop and pee, so there won’t be an update until the following week, but rest assured I haven’t forgotten about all of you.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! I haven’t had much spare time on my hands recently so I haven’t been able to get much time on the creative side of things, but I did have some time to do a little research on the Web, and I’ve come across some great new Seals-related media that is sure to interest all of you. I haven’t had a chance to get through all of it yet, but so far these new podcast episodes have made the morning and afternoon commutes rather pleasant.

What I’m referring to is the Pro Hockey Alumni Podcast. If you’re a fan of old time hockey — and if you come to this site regularly, you probably are — you’re going to love Mark Willand’s show. To get you started, might I suggest the four episodes I have linked to this site, and you can connect to Mark’s site in the Audio/Video section. The first two links will take you to parts one and two of an interview with Seals Hall of Famer Gary “Suitcase” Smith. I’m currently in the middle of part two, and so far, it has been thoroughly enjoyable to hear the legendary wandering goaltender about his relationships with Harry Howell, Carol Vadnais, and Tony Esposito. He also gets deep into his four-year stint with the Seals, telling great stories about the nightmare first season under Bert Olmstead, and how his final season with the Seals messed him up. The two other episodes include a tribute to former Seals and Barons defenseman Mike Christie, and an interview with Seals documentary producer Mark Greczmiel.

Normally, I would have an Overexposed card or a newspaper article for you as well, but I’m still having my issues with WordPress, and I’m going to have to find a way to do what I normally do with a malfunctioning web-site creator. Don’t fret, however, as I have lots of new stuff coming in the next few months, and I won’t be letting you down!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! It’ll be a small update this week, unfortunately, due to some ongoing problems with WordPress. I had a new Overexposed card to post this week, but until I figure out what is wrong with WordPress, it will have to wait until next week. Until then, I’d like to share a great new article sent to me from site subscriber Jim Shattock. It is an interesting piece from a Seals game program, and it is all about Gilles Meloche and Morris Mott. One opened a new burger joint, and the other was subject of the Brooklyn-based Morris Mott Fan Club. I’ll let you figure out which player was associated with which extracurricular activity. You can find the article in the Seals/Barons articles section, which you have to access through the menu at the top of the page.

Again, very sorry for the small update, but we’ll hopefully be back to normal next week. Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Still plugging away at correcting the stats and other hiccups in my book in preparation for next fall’s paperback edition, I’ve been unearthing a few new articles and interesting tidbits about everyone’s favorite defunct NHL franchise. This week, I found a fascinating article that explores the Seals’ attendance problems during their last season in San Francisco. When Seals’ fans found out their team would be moving to Oakland, they were none too happy about it, even though it meant the team would be playing in not only a fancy-shmancy new rink, but in a fancy-shmancy professional league. The Oakland Tribune‘s Ed Levitt gives great insight into what was going on hockey-wise in the Bay Area in 1966. You can check it out in the articles section.

We’ve got a great new induction to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame! In fact, this week we’re inducting an entire subset of cards featuring Vancouver Canucks legend Trevor Linden, who apparently was in need of a personal secretary (or a cell phone) to keep track of daily comings and goings, because that dude was bizz-ay. To find out what I mean, you’ll need to check out this week’s induction right here.

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone and belated Happy Halloween! I don’t know about you, but we got one hell of a torrential downpour on the Day of the Dead this year. But my son Emmett was a real trooper and walked in the rain in his Superman cape for two hours and never complained once. All he wanted after collecting candy from one house was finding the next house he could exploit. At the end of the night, his hands were cold, his rubber boots were soaked, his hair was drenched, but he couldn’t have been happier. All in all, we all had a great time, and now I’m back for a new update.

This week, I’ve been going over my book and identifying little hiccups here and there that I’d like to have corrected. Most of the time it’s just stats, since my book was published before the NHL released all of its game summaries from 1917 to the present day. Therefore, there are a lot of instances where plus-minuses and shots on goal figures are off by one, which is really annoying, but at least I getting a mulligan on my book and I have the chance to do a few things over. I’m a perfectionist so I’m more than happy to do the job.

One thing that always bothered me in researching the Seals was the understanding the history of the famous, but short-lived Wrecking Crew Line. I just didn’t have access to anything that indicated when, and for how long Dave Hrechkosy, Butch Williams and Ron Huston played together, and so the book is a little vague on their overall impact on the Seals. As I started reading through the 1974-75 chapter, I started looking more closely at the stats and I made the necessary corrections. I thought it would be a good time to update the original 2016 article I wrote about the Wrecking Crew which had been posted to the articles section of the website. So, this week’s new article is not so much “new” but rather a 2.0 version, and you can find it where the old version was, in the articles section, of course.

And, to acknowledge the spirit of Halloween, a trip down memory lane to remember some of the scariest Overexposed cards we’ve featured! We’ve got Anders Hedberg’s crazy eyes! We’ve got Emerson Etem’s crotch! We’ve got Dan Cleary threatening to slit his throat! And we’ve got Dave Gagner trying to scare the crap out of everyone within earshot! Enjoy!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! And welcome to all of the new subscribers who have joined the site the last week or so. Don’t know what got everyone interested in the site all of a sudden – I should probably check out Google or something – but I’m very happy to be greeting all of you newbies!

So what do we got in store for you this week?

I was looking through some online newspaper archives for some interesting new articles I had overlooked in my previous research, and I came across a great piece from the November 16, 1976 San Francisco Examiner. The opinion piece, written by Wells Twombly involves the curious, late-season departure of Munson Campbell, who was then hired shortly afterward by the transplanted Kansas City Scouts, who were on their way to Denver, Colorado. It is an intriguing story about love, deception, greed, lust and… unbridled enthusiasm (bonus points for all you Seinfeld fans!). Or maybe it’s just a tale of a guy who didn’t get along with his boss and got canned. Either way, the story is well worth the read, and you can find it in the articles section.

While you’re here, be sure to check out the latest induction to the Overexposed wing of the Hockey Hall of Shame. I may have to add a “Duh… Duh” display to the wing because this card definitely deserves its own spotlight due to its sheer absurdity. It’s Pierre Plante’s last NHL card, and definitely his worst!

Until next time, stay gold!

Hi everyone! Whew, has this been one busy week! Work is crazy right now. The baby’s room has finally been painted. I interviewed the Washington Capitals’ Mike Lampman for my new book, which means lots of transcribing to do. I do love this part of the research process of a book though. So many great stories I’ve never heard before, which I assume means readers are going to enjoy immensely as well. Thankfully, we’ve also got a weekend trip to the Eastern Townships planned for Saturday morning. It’ll probably do us all some good to rest with friends and family a few days.

Another thing I’ve got to get started on before the baby arrives is a review of my book since University of Nebraska Press has just informed me it will going to a paperback edition in the fall of 2020, which is great news! They say it means they have confidence the book will continue to sell well, which feels great to hear, although I get the impression the e-mail I received is really just a canned message that has been sent to lots and lots of authors as well. But I’ll finally get the chance to correct those stats that were compiled before the NHL released all of its game summaries, not to mention a few little typos here and there in the rest of the book, so I’m not complaining.

Just a small update this week due to my lack of time to write anything new, funny, creative or interesting. In the articles section, there is a brand new piece on underrated defenseman Len Frig, who played four seasons with the Seals-Barons. Thanks once again to Pete Manzolillo for sending me yet another great article from one of his old game programs from the 1970s. Check it out here in the articles section.

Until next time, stay gold!