Western Hockey League (1961-1966)
National Hockey League (1967-1976)
Tombstone
Born: April 23, 1961 – As San Francisco Seals
Died: July 14, 1976 – California Golden Seals relocate to Cleveland, OH.
First Game: October 11, 1967 (W 5-1 vs. Philadelphia Flyers)
Last Game: April 4, 1976 (W 5-2 vs. Los Angeles Kings)
Stanley Cup Championships: None
Arena
Oakland Arena
Opened: November 9, 1966
Marketing
Team Colors:
Kelly Green, Royal Blue, White (1967-1970)
Kelly Green, California Gold, Snow White (1970-1974)
Pacific Teal, Sun Yellow, Milk White (1974-1976)
Ownership
Owners:
- 1961-1964: Coleman (Coley) Hall
- 1965-1966: Melvin Swig
- 1966-1970: Barry Van Gerbig
- 1970-1975: Charles O. Finley
- 1975-1976: Melvin Swig
Background
In the early 1960s with the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) expanding, as well as the National Basketball Association (NBA) adding teams, the National Hockey League (NHL) felt pressure to increase its membership.
The league was further compelled to act by the actions of the Western Hockey League (WHL), minor league circuit with teams in the U.S. and Canada. Since World War II, the NHL had been confined to the Northeast and Midwest, with two teams in Eastern Canada. Only the NFL had established a presence on the West Coast following the war. The NHL also had the fewest clubs compared to the other leagues. These teams would become known collectively as the Original Six.
Hockey, like the other sports, was popular across the entire U.S., and more cities wanted major league teams. Enter the Western Hockey League (WHL). Formed in 1954, the WHL had teams in some of the biggest cities out West. As early as 1961, after welcoming San Francisco and Los Angeles to the fold, it was openly threatening to become a major league and challenge for the Stanley Cup. In 1965, seeing the writing on the boards, the NHL took action.
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1966: Oakland Seals Join the NHL
In 1966, the NHL awarded new teams to Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and the Bay Area. Barry Van Gerbig was awarded the Bay Area franchise, and instead of building an organization from the ground up, he purchased the WHL’s San Francisco Seals (by then known as the Oakland Seals) from Melvin Swig and his group. The team played one final season in the WHL as the California Seals, an attempt to spread interest in the team throughout Northern California.
The NHL Seals planned to play in a new arena in San Francisco, but the facility was never built. Van Gerbig opted instead for the just-built Oakland Arena in the East Bay. On October 11, 1967, the Oakland Seals opened their inaugural season at home with a 5 to 1 victory over fellow expansion team the Philadelphia Flyers.
Tough Times on the Ice
Despite the encouraging starts, the Seals finished their first season in last place in the Western Division, which was comprised entirely of the league’s six new teams. Fewer than 5,000 fans per game made their way into the Oakland Arena to root on the Seals.
In May 1968, Van Gerbig announced that, despite rumors to the contrary, the team was not moving to Vancouver, even though the club had posted $1.5 million in losses in its first season. The Labatt Brewing Company (then known as John Labatt Ltd.) had loaned Van Gerbig $700,000 to satisfy the rest of the $2 million expansion fee still owed to the NHL. Labatt, in turn, had pressed for the move to British Columbia but was unable to secure the territorial rights for the city from the WHL.
On the same day Van Gerbig announced that the Seals were staying in Oakland, the WHL Canucks stated their intention to join the NHL. They were admitted for the 1970-71 season. Meanwhile, the Seals’ second season was a bit more successful on the ice and at the gate as they finished in second place and made the postseason. Attendance only increased slightly, though. The rival Kings eliminated the Seals 4-3 in the first round of the playoffs.
In 1970, Van Gerbig sold the team to the controversial Charles O. Finley, owner of the Oakland A’s baseball team. Finley changed the team’s name to the Bay Area Seals, but after the two games, renamed them the California Golden Seals. In 1972, he added the Memphis Pros to his portfolio, renaming them the Memphis Tams. All three teams shared a similar green and yellow color scheme.
Finley Loses Interest
The Seals had started to improve, but in 1972, the rival World Hockey Association (WHA) debuted. The new league lured many NHL players away, including five of the Seals’ top stars.
While the A’s were in the midst of a three-World Series run, Finley’s other two teams were not faring nearly as well. In 1973, he attempted to relocate the struggling Seals to Indianapolis, but the NHL put the kibosh on that move. Finley abandoned his hockey and basketball holdings in February and June 1974, respectively selling both back to their respective leagues.
For over a year, the NHL ran the Seals as it attempted to find a buyer, one that would preferably keep the team in the Bay Area. Those hopes slowly dwindled, though. In October 1974, the Seals denied a move to Denver that would have allowed the owners of WHL Spurs to take over the team. In February 1975, it was strongly rumored that the Seals would move to Denver or Seattle, with the city not getting the team receiving an expansion franchise.
New Owner, New Arena, No Arena, and a Move to Cleveland
Finally, in 1975, the league sold the team to one of its former owners, Mel Swig, who brought in two minority partners, George and Gordon Gund.
Swig’s purchase of the Seals was motivated by a proposed arena to be built in San Francisco. However, that project did not move forward, leaving the Seals in the East Bay in pretty much the same shape they had been in since the start. At the behest of the Gunds, Swig moved the team to their hometown of Cleveland. The NHL reluctantly agreed.
The move wasn’t without its challenges, however. At the time, Cleveland was home to the WHA’s Crusaders. Even though they were on their last legs, the Seals couldn’t move to town until the Crusaders, in the middle of trying to find a buyer, left. The move was approved by the NHL on July 1, 1976, even though the Crusaders move to Minnesota wasn’t approved by the WHA until August 6.
The Crusaders replaced the original Minnesota Fighting Saints, keeping the name and logo but changing the color scheme. The Seals became the Cleveland Barons, taking their name from the American Hockey League team the Crusaders had forced out of town in 1973.
Coming Full Circle
The Barons lasted two years in Cleveland before being merged with the also struggling Minnesota North Stars in 1978. The merged club was based in Minnesota and kept the North Stars name and branding. The Gunds later attempted to move them to the Bay Area but were denied by the NHL. Instead, they were allowed to sell the team to former Hartford Whalers owner Howard Baldwin and his business partner Norm Green, who would keep the team in Minnesota (at first). The Gunds were then awarded an expansion franchise that would become the San Jose Sharks, a team stocked by special arrangement with several North Stars.
On October 5, 1991, pro hockey returned to the Bay Area, as the Sharks hosted the Vancouver Canucks at the Cow Palace in San Francisco in their second regular season game. The home team lost 5 to 2. In the fall of 1993, the Sharks moved into their permanent home, the San Jose Arena (now SAP Center).
California Golden Seals Video
The California Golden Seals take on the Los Angeles Kings, March 28, 1973
In Memoriam
Former team owner Melvin Swig died of cancer on May 14, 1993 at the age of 75. New York Times obituary.
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