Oakland-California Golden Seals history

Hockey memory

[@doggertdog]

Seals, my favorite hockey team ever

[@werqa123]

@quincee33 From 1967-70 team was as Oakland seals it was sold in 1970 and renamed as California Golden Seals with new uniform. Team was in Oakland all time.Seals home was Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum

[@RickNBacker]

Me too! I was a Seals fan on Long Island, used to listen to many of their home games on east coast teams' stations - Boston, Washington, Pittsburgh, Philly, Detroit and Chicago sometimes, even Atlanta came in crystal clear! I'd be up until 1:30 on a school night!

[@rf396]

O I wish Id seen this post sooner. Born and raised in Walpole pal. The Seals were my 2nd fave team. My friend I would LOVE it when The B's did a west coast swing, playing The Seals, Kings, and Canucks. Watching those LATE games and going into school the next day to talk about them was priceless. YES those WERE the DAYS!!!!!

[@007TambourineMan]

the best Seal of 1974-75 passed away last week .. Dave "The Wrecker" Hrechkosy ... 29 goals his rookie year. A fellow north end Winnipegger.

[@hvymtlbabe]

I was lucky enough as a teen to go to some of those games... They were awesome!

[@RickNBacker]

Right, they actually had 4 versions of colored skates - in 70/71 they had yellow boots with green trim and green boots with yellow trim. Next year they were white with green trim and after that, all white with only green laces. I saw one of their first games after the team was sold and they went back to standard skates, Ranger game from Oakland televised late night here in NY.

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

@quincee33 ....Oakland is just north of and up the road from San Jose (less than a half hour's drive) Anybody who is still in the bay area who was a Seals fan, is surely a Sharks fan now. Myself included. :- ) ......"Jagar"

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

I worked with Fred Glover in the mid to late 80's. Always had some real good hockey story's. I went to many Seals games and am now an avid Sharks fan!......."Jagar"

[@beb6375]

Love this clip. Saw all but nine Seals' home games during their existence, including a few at the SF Cow Palace and both playoff series. Nothing but great memories. Has season seat in section 120, 2 rows in front of Schultz, who was always gracious in drawing Snoopy, Woodstock and/or Sparky on the program covers. Still a Seals fan!

[@switchhitter08]

You're right on that. Expansion teams usually create a wave of excitement as far as fanbase is concerned. And the California Golden Seals failed to do that. They were two decades ahaed of their time. The state of California was not known for being a hockey market until Wayne Gretzky joined the Los Angeles Kings. That's when fans there really started coming to hockey games. It took The Great One to get things going.

[@williegordon6816]

When Marcel Dionne went to Los Angeles from Detroit in 1975 that's when the Kings started getting recognized.

[@BiffScooter1]

Fantastic clip! Was a Seals fan mainly because when they came up yo Vancouver in '70 some of their fans including Krazy George came along, too.

[@roaringchicken92]

Holy crap -- *Oakland* Seals videotape! Didn't think it existed. Anyway, loved the video, especially "A female streaker dashed across the ice -- attendance, once again, rose." :-P

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

Wow! I didn't know there were old Seals vids running around.. I used to work with Fred Glover in the mid 80's after he retired. Really nice guy...."Jagar"

[@JakeyJohnstonn]

joey johnston is my grandpa.

[@casey24jones]

This a great video!

[@parkman35]

You can get a book by Brad Kurtzburg called "Shorthanded' about the Seals. I bought it, and there's a ton of great photos and memories.

[@Staszu13]

Smith was an interesting story, he'd played 71 out of 80 matches in 1970-71. He was traded to Chicago for Gerry Desjardins, but Desjardins showed up for training camp in Oakland with his arm in a cast. Finley got furious, demanded another goalie and got Gilles Meloche. Of course, Desjardins wasn't really injured....:-)

[@FischerFan]

Thanks for posting this video. It's always fascinating to watch the humble beginnings of the NHL in the Bay Area. I believe the Seals undoing came with Charlie Finlay. He could build a baseball winner alright; but he knew absolutely nothing about hockey...and that's by his own admission. Still, this team had talent like Joey Johnston, Larry Patey, Dennis Maruk, Al MacAdam, Charlie Simmer, and Gilles Meloche. The potential was there, but sadly never realized.

[@RickNBacker]

The all-white skates were actually the LAST version of colored skates for the Seals. They first had yellow skates with green trim and and also those colors reversed, green with yellow trim. The following season the skates were white with green trim, then finally all-white with green laces.

[@toonguy85]

They neglect to mention "Sparky The Seal", a club mascot drawn by PEANUTS creator Charles Schulz. Being a native Minnesotan, Schulz was a big booster of hockey and enjoyed a longtime involvement with the Seals.

[@blank77]

Oakland-California Golden Seals 1967-76.RIP

[@andyr1313]

Part of the Seals' problem was the Oakland Coliseum, at that time, had a capacity of just over 12,000. It was said if they sold out the entire season, they would still lose money, therefore the need for an 18.000 seat San Francisco arena. However, Mayor George Moscone scotched the plan for Yerba Buena Gardens (great name) before he was tragically assassinated. Ironically, the exhibit hall that went up on the site was called the Moscone Center...

[@JasonVoorhees83]

this is cool to watch! have not seen to much actual game footage with the seals. knew they had meloche though.

[@boomac62]

Very interesting...gotta love Charly O! Well, that worked out well for the seals but as a Smith fan I should have known he played with the Seals (some fan)...thanks for the information.

[@Rockhound6165]

I didn't realize Craig Patrick was on that team. He went on to be the assistant coach on the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team with Herb Brooks.

[@gvbaker55]

My first game was the Seals vs. Atlanta Flames at the Omni. $5 seats next to the goal judge. They looked like the Oakland A's on skates. Pat Quinn had a fight in nearly every game I saw. Nice clip.

[@werqa123]

@MrWillc1975 He was traded in mid of 1971-72 season for Vadnais from Boston. And played for Seals until 1973-74 season after for Flyers and won the Cup with Flyers

[@FreewayBrent]

@wonglee2424: I didn't even know the Bay Area had a NHL team before the San Jose Sharks. I can't imagine the legendary Joe Starkey announcing anything other than 49er or Cal Bear games!

[@boomac62]

I always kinda liked the good 'ol Seals. They were bad for sure but they always looked good in those nice sweaters and white skates. i was a fan of Gary Smith, I wasn't aware he played with them, I knew he backed up Tony Esposito for a while...

[@Puckguy14]

Technically yes. While the Seals became the Barons then merged with the North Stars, the Gunds made a deal with the new North Stars owners to have a dispersal draft of Minnesota's minor league talent, in exchange to have the North Stars to share in the Expansion Draft pool. The North Stars stayed in Minny for two seasons and then went to Dallas where the team originally was to be called the Lone Stars.

[@Pmccrsp]

@MrWillc1975 Wikipedai adds Larry Wright and a 1st rounder but I had forgotten that part of it.

[@EderikSchneider1973USA]

Major league pro hockey on Northern California in the 1970s

[@bncnblrbr]

A team from Northern California finishing in second place before being knocked out in the first round...where have I heard that before?

[@Pmccrsp]

@MrWillc1975 LArry Wright, Al MacAdam a 1st round pick and future considerations. I only knew MacAdam. I hada seals Hockey card of Leach. Met him in alocker room after playing his son's team around 1976. Was real cool to us.

[@Pmccrsp]

That's Don Earle announcingt hose Bruins Seals clips he later announced for the Flyers during their Cup years

[@thewildfan85]

If Seattle gets an expansion team they should recover the name and call the team the Seattle Seals

[@michaelleroy9281]

Not going to happen, they are the Kraken

[@wonglee2424]

Joe Starkey Seals radio play by play the best

[@parkman35]

@xWESTICLESx I know it's be awhile since your post, but one of the tough things about having hockey teams in California interestwise is the fact that when the teams go east, the game starting times may be like 7PM in New York, or Boston..Detroit, or Chicago and St Louis, but that's 4 and 5PM on the west coast. It's obvious that the San Jose Sharks have a great fan base and sell out teh HP Pavillion a lot. The Ducks will draw well if they win. I see better days though coming for the LA Kings..

[@parkman35]

Had there been an adaquate arena in San Franciso back at the time of the 1967 expansion, the NHL would've put a team there. Remember the old San Francisco Seals of the WHL? Vancouver should've gotten one of the six franchises, but the NHL wanted a natural rival for the LA Kings, and so they put the Seals in Oakland and that's what they were known as for the first 3 years until Finley bought the team and changed the name to represent the Bay Area, along with the A's colors and white skates!

[@MrWillc1975]

Does anybody remember when Reggie Leech used to be a Seal ? Just who did the Seals get in return for him in 74 - 75 ? Man they had so much talent , you wonder if they could have kept him and Charlie Simmer , they both were great goal scorers with their new teams .

[@markwillianen6049]

Al MacAdam and Larry Wright. The draft pick turned out to be Ron Chipperfield

[@swuzz17]

my dad said he went to a toronto game vs seals and there was a 40 minute fight i wish i could see that

[@arnoldpalmer1118]

Mel Swig really picked them seals up

[@Lava1964]

Funny to think that 6,000 fans was considered a good turnout. Gilles Meloche was one of my favorite NHL goalies. He was totally underrated because he played for such poor Seals teams.

[@werqa123]

@Jsouthwell2006 Yes Lafleur was drafted by seals but was sold for deaft choice to Habs

[@Puckguy14]

True, but that was almost the case with the Gunds wanting to move the North Stars to Oakland.

[@MrWillc1975]

Thanks for the info , now i know and again you just wonder what if the Seals had kept all their good players , maybe they would still be there now . I hope that Oakland will get another team someday the way that we did when we lost the Flames . ( I hate the Thrashers name though ! But glad that we got hockey back ! )

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

@quincee33....That's kool. Come to think of it, I did have a Leaf's team photo from waaay back. Like 60ish or there abouts. In fact, I may of had duplicates!....."Jagar"

[@Matteger23]

woo go oakland seals!!!!! if they were still around.

[@marlinsbaseballfan]

@robphilll good idea but isn't San Francisco and Oakland SanJose Sharks teritory.But if you did have the money you should do that

[@DocSpratley33]

crazy george is up doing BC Lions games now? same dude i swear!

[@quincee33]

i don't know about you guys, but here in Toronto if you had a team hockey card it was the coolest thing! hard to find.

[@michaelleroy9281]

For 74-75 and 75-76 the colors were Pacific Blue and Gold

[@andyr1313]

Starkey WAS great if you didn't mind little things like who was handling the puck and who scored that last goal- he announced the Seals like he announced the 49ers- poorly...

[@canuckster24]

Criminal that Oakland got a team in 1967 but not Vancouver.

[@whaler3232]

Love the music starting at 1:30....this was played in Star Wars lol!

[@peytonl4924]

Love the cantina band lol

[@ECWnWWF]

In Clarence Campbell's 31 seasons as the NHL's head honcho...the league tripled in size..from 6 to 18 teams. In that span only 2 teams were relocated, the Kansas City Scouts went to Denver to become the Colorado Rockies and the Seals left Oakland to become the Cleveland Barons. The Seals/Barons were the only team to fold under Campbell's watch. Bettman on the other hand, in 16 seasons, while no team has folded, he relocated 4 teams and added 6 more. Bettman is a cancer to the NHL.

[@msgilmourgirl]

if gilles meloche was on abetter team . he would have owned the vezina trophy!!

[@Staszu13]

@werqa123 Not quite. Just before they sold the team to Charlie Finley, they dealt the draft pick to Montreal.

[@quincee33]

@ausfuhrpramienjagar is "Jagar" your real name?

[@WatchVenusSpa]

Crazy George forever!

[@werqa123]

@5inthehole Not it was Ted Hampson. Btw brothers from "Slap shot" have real prototiype- Carlson's brothers - 2 from them it is real brothers Carlson? they played in this great movie. One of them real played in glasses in WHA team - Minnesota Fighting Sainta after even in NHL several games in Minnesota North Stars end 70's -start 80's.

[@quincee33]

@ausfuhrpramienjagar cool, i'm 41 but being Canadian i'm aware of the Seals....just remember the white skates...as kids we all traded hockey and baseball cards, Habs players cont'

[@xWESTICLESx]

Yeah that's true. Unfortunately, we need another big boost here in Southern California. I don't know how the Sharks' turnout is, but down here nobody really gives a rat's ass about the Kings or the Ducks, even though the Ducks have won the cup recently. Out of the 5 rinks that were in my area 3 have shut down. I heard that the World Series of Poker has higher ratings than NHL games. That's pretty sad. I don't know what it will take to get people in California interested in Hockey again

[@Pmccrsp]

@MrWillc1975 I believe they got Al MacAdam for Reggie Leach.

[@SirLordHockey]

what was the date of the game against the flyers that at the time set the NHL record for penelty minutes??????? SEALS vs. FLYERS

[@BiffScooter1]

Seals fans were not many but they were LOUD! My first experience was when Krazy George led a bunch of them up to Vancouver to see the Seals on the road vs. the Canucks. Became a Seals fan right then and there despite the pathetic record on the ice. Losers maybe but bland and boring they never were. Plus look at how good goalies.Gary Smith (revived Nux in mid''70s) and Gilles Meloche (took Minny to Final in '81) were when freed from Oakland

[@michaelleroy9281]

Guy LaFleur would have never wanted to play for the Seals

[@ethicomm]

And as of today April 29th, the NHL is running the Phoenix Coyotes and paying the arena lease, parking and security. Nothing wrong with this scenario.

[@BiffScooter1]

Well, jog that memory, dude. Meloche was #1 that year. Meloche played 13 games and Beuapre 6 in that playoff run. Almost on that GF total...it was 22 to 8 in the sweep. The Interwebs--use it or be forever called on your facts.

[@quincee33]

@werqa123 Why did they have 2 city names? i mean why were they Oakland and also California? Were both Golden Seals or was it just the California Golden Seals? And 1 last q: is Oakland close to San Jose, would old Seals fans support the Sharks?

[@jamestiscareno4387]

I was a big Seals fan. I played youth ice hockey and was a teenager when the Seals left. I'm a huge Sharks fan and I pray San Jose wins the Stanley Cup soon so I can die a happy man.

[@Irekyu]

couldn't agree more. Bettman should have stayed with the NBA

[@rapideye97]

The Seals - The Black Sheep of the '67 expansion teams.

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

@quincee33 ..lol. That's not bad! I am a big Sharks fan and I own a #99 Gretzky Oilers jersey in the orange and blue retro style! lol. Actually, it's pretty cool looking and I turn alot of heads when I happen to wear it in public.hahah. Come to think of it, I have a Coyotes, Canucks, Islander's and a "Thornton" Sharks jersey also. Good ol' Ebay!........"Jagar"

[@MrAnalrapist69]

Interesting they show this video in a modified form at the beginning of the San Francisco Bulls games. I was wondering how a minor league team could afford to license star wars music, but I guess its part of the source.

[@p.s.9031]

Jon Miller doing Seals report kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3_ZqGV9r6l5ldk

[@MARILYN19481]

Worst move in history of the NHL. Trading away their first round draft choice to the Montreal Canadians which turned out to be Guy Lafleur.

[@quincee33]

@ausfuhrpramienjagar sorry ran out, so Habs players were always a premium, if one of my friends had a Canadiens player he could get 2 Leaf players,lol and probably 3 Barron cards

[@faceurhell]

$12 ringside playoffs tickets? Shoot, put me down for 1,000 of those!!! But for reals, I think that given the NBA's Golden State Warriors are moving to San Francisco and the financial success of the Sharks, that there is a strong chance that the Oakland Seals may be revived in San Francisco.

[@michaelleroy9281]

The 71-72 team was getting good , then the WHA came

[@rtisi]

$12 a ticket the fans deserve good hockey? Wow, times have changed eh?

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

@quincee33 .... No, that's just the last word in my username if you'll notice. It means "hunter"......."Jagar"

[@whakjob980]

star wars music

[@ausfuhrpramienjagar]

@uncl3m0key .. Yeah, but, Fred Glover hated them damn white skates...lol. He told me so!........."Jagar"

[@Pmccrsp]

@MrWillc1975 I would guess Al MacAdam

[@Puckguy14]

Let's not forget the ultimate embarassment player personnel wise. Seals traded their #1 pick to Montreal who selected... Guy Lafleur

[@chrisuncleahmad]

Why couldn't the Seals ever improve? The Sharks, Kings and Ducks seemed to get better- but what was wrong with the Seals?

[@quincee33]

@ausfuhrpramienjagar my buddy has Wayne Gretzky's rookie card...he's not even a sports fan...it's a crime!

[@CMUBrent]

LOL, yeah that worked out well, didn't it?

[@666mathew]

Does Crazy George root for the Sharks now?

[@quincee33]

@ausfuhrpramienjagar okay i don't need yur life story,lol

[@whakjob980]

why'd they leave to ohio then?

[@DocSpratley33]

made them wear white skates? wtf!? haha wow

[@MaximusWolfe]

white skates? Hell no.

[@CMUBrent]

White skates, yikes!

[@SirLordHockey]

what was the date of the game against the flyers that at the time set the NHL record for penelty minutes??????? SEALS vs. FLYERES