The San Jose Sharks weren’t the first NHL team in Northern California. That honor went to the California Golden Seals. In 1967 they were a part of six team expansion which included the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Los Angeles Kings. Every single one of these teams save the Golden Seals still play in the NHL 51 years after entering the league. The possible exception is the North Stars who became the Dallas Stars in the 90’s. What happened to the California Golden Seals?
Barry Van Gerbig got the nod for the Seals expansion team. About a year earlier Van Gerbig, movie star and singer Bing Crosby, his brother Mickey and fifty other investors bought the San Francisco Seals, a WHL team. The Seals were supposed to have a new 
area built, but unfortunately fell through. Initially the Seals were to have home ice in San Francisco at the Cow Palace. When the deal died, the Seal’s home ice became the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. At first the Seals were named the California Seals, then in the middle of their first season they renamed the team the Oakland Seals, then eventually the California Golden Seals in 1970.
Going 1-13-0 in their first 14 games, Van Gerbig panicked and wanted to move the team to Vancouver, who would eventually enter the NHL in 1970. The Seals had trouble selling tickets and attendance was poor. Crosby and his famous friends tried to help with sales, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz drew up the programs for them. None of these things worked. The seals were eventually bought by famed Oakland A’s owner Charles O. Finley before the 1970-71 season opened.
Finley, known for his flamboyance, had the team wear white skates. This didn’t go well with the team. General Manager Bill Torey told Finley “Charley, hockey players don’t wear white skates.” Finley replied “Well, they might if they worked for me.” The Seals played an exhibition game in Sudbury, Ontario. In a surprise appearance Finley showed up at the game to see the players wearing their normal black skates, Finley immediately sent Torey down to tell the players to put on the white skates because Finley was watching. The players reluctantly agreed.
“The worst thing about the white skates was that I wasn’t the best skater in the world, and I always thought they made me look slower than I really was,” said defenseman Bert Marshall.
After the game Torey spoke to Finley. “How did you like the white skates?” “I didn’t like them.” replied Finley. “They didn’t look good on the white ice.”
In another publicity stunt, Finley got a live seal on the ice before the singing of the national anthem. The seal made it to center ice, barked and flapped around for a few minutes and then decided to lie down on the ice. It never moved. The PR announcer and the ice crew had to drag the poor animal off the ice.
In the end Finley and Torey couldn’t work with each other. Finley fired Torey and Torey wound up suing Finley. Today Torey is in a consultant and Alternate Governor of the Florida Panthers.
Finley was known to not pay his players properly too. For instance left winger Ernie Hicke scored 22 goals, 25 assists, for a total of 47 points in the 1970-71 season. His teammate center Dennis Hextall scored 21 goals, 31 assists for a grand total of 52 points. Hextall was traded to Minnesota. Finley started dealing with Hicke and his salary. That year as a rookie Hicke made $10,000 for the season. Finley offered him a $1000 raise. When he called up his old friend Hextall, he learned that Minnesota was paying him $55,000. Hicke tried to renegotiate his salary. Finley adamantly refused. Hicke eventually left the team after the 1971-72 series.
In nine seasons the Seals went 698-182-401. In the 1973-74 season the Seals went 13-55-10. The team was a money pit for league finances and the NHL bought the team soon after. San Francisco hotel owner Mel Swig bought the team and moved them to become the Cleveland Barons. The Barons only lasted two seasons and became the Minnesota North Stars.
There are many morals to the story of the California Golden Seals. Bad management not the market is the reason for the demise of a team. The California Golden Seals flopped like the real live seal at center ice and collapsed. Nobody likes to see their team lose. Van Gerbig and Finley never understood the game or the business of hockey. Gimmicks and celebrities don’t put fans in the seats, winning teams, smart trades and happy players do. The story of the California Golden Seals is a cautionary one.
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