Western Hockey League (1961-1967)
Tombstone
Born: April 23, 19611Western Hockey League To Add Two Cal Teams, UPI via The Lodi News-Sentinel, Apr. 24, 1961
Renamed: February 10, 1966 (California Seals)2California Seals New NHL Team, UPI via The Montreal Gazette, Feb. 11, 1966
Status: Accepted into the National Hockey League (NHL), February 9, 1966 for the 1967-68 season3San Francisco Added To National Hockey League, UPI via The Lodi News-Sentinel, Feb. 10, 1966 as California Seals.
First Game: October 13, 1961 (L 8-3 @ Seattle Totems)
Last Game: (In WHL) April 15, 1967 (L 4-1 @ Seattle Totems)
Lester Patrick Cup Championships: 1963, 1964
Arena
Cow Palace (1961-1966)
Opened: April 20, 19414To Help Inauguration of $3,000,000 ‘Cow Palace,’ The Lodi News-Sentinel, Apr. 16, 1941
Oakland-Alameda Coliseum (1966-1967)
Opened: November 9, 19665Seals Open New Arena, AP via The Spokane Daily Chronicle, Nov. 10, 1966
Marketing
Team Colors:
Black, Yellow, and White
Ownership
Owner:
- Coleman Hall (1961-1964)6Western Hockey League To Add Two Cal Teams, UPI via The Lodi News-Sentinel, Apr. 24, 1961
- Mel Swig (1964-1966)7San Francisco Seals become home-owned, AP via The Press-Courier, Jul. 17, 1964
- Barry Van Gerbig, Bing Crosby, George Flaherty (1966-1967)8Seals under one roof in NHL franchise bid, UPI via The Windsor Star, Jan. 29, 1966
Background
The San Francisco Seals hockey team was established in 1961, when the city was awarded an expansion franchise in the Western Hockey League (WHL).9Western Hockey League To Add Two Cal Teams, UPI via The Lodi News-Sentinel, Apr. 24, 1961 The team’s nickname was inspired by the city’s beloved minor league baseball club, also called the San Francisco Seals, which was displaced after the arrival of the Major League Giants in 1956.
Vancouver hotel magnate Coleman Hall was awarded the franchise on April 23, 1961, and shortly thereafter went to San Francisco to secure ice-making equipment for the team’s home, the Cow Palace in Daly City. An arena sorted and players acquired, the team hit the ice for it’s inaugural season on the road against the Seattle Totems. They lost 8-3 in their debut.
The team ended its first season with a record of 29-29-2 but still managed to make the playoffs. They lost in the first round, however, to the Spokane Comets. The next season, though, they skated their way to the championship, winning the first of two Lester Patrick championship trophies.
Moving on up
After being acquired by local attorney Mel Swig, the team finished in fifth place for the 1964-65 season and missed the playoffs. As that season was winding down, the NHL announced its intention to add six new teams, with San Francisco (and Oakland) mentioned as possible locations for new franchises.
The NHL’s plans were solidified a year later when millionaire and socialite Barry Van Gerbig and his fellow investors (including entertainer Bing Crosby) were awarded an expansion franchise for San Francisco.10San Francisco Added To National Hockey League, UPI via The Lodi-News Sentinel, Feb. 10, 1966 A few weeks before the announcement was made, Van Gerbig purchased the Seals, reasoning it would be easier to acquire an existing hockey organization as opposed to building one from scratch.
The team was renamed the California Seals, effective with the start of the club’s final season in the WHL.11California Seals New NHL Team, AP via The Montreal Gazette, Feb. 11, 1966 For that final campaign in the minors, the Seals moved to the East Bay, taking a lease at the brand new Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, future home of the NHL version of the team. The WHL Seals opened the new arena on November 9, 1966, with a 6-5 overtime victory over the San Diego Gulls.
The beginning of the end and a new beginning
They finished in fourth place that year with a record of 32-30-10 and captured the final playoff spot, but lost in six games to their nemesis, the Seattle Totems. Six months later, the NHL California Seals debuted with a 5-1 victory over fellow expansion team, the Philadelphia Flyers.12Hicke paces California, AP via The Phoenix, Oct. 12, 1967 That marked the beginning of a fascinating tale of a hockey franchise that would impact fans not only in the Bay Area but also in Cleveland, Minnesota, and the Bay Area again. READ MORE
Links
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San Francisco Seals