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The California Golden Seals: A Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL's Most Outlandish Teams Hardcover – Illustrated, November 1, 2017

by Steve Currier (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 93 ratings
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Hockey has had its share of bizarre tales over the years, but none compares to the fascinating story of the California Golden Seals, a team that remains the benchmark for how not to run a sports franchise. From 1967 to 1978, a revolving door of players, apathetic owners, and ridiculous marketing decisions turned the Seals, originally based in Oakland, into hockey’s traveling circus. The team lost tons of money and games, cheated death more often than Evel Knievel, and left behind a long trail of broken dreams. Live seals were used as mascots, players wore skates that were painted white on an almost-daily basis, and draft picks were dealt away nonchalantly like cards at a poker game. One general manager was hauled in for questioning by mysterious men because he’d mismanaged a player contract, while one of the team’s goaltenders regularly spat tobacco juice at the feet of referees.

The California Golden Seals examines the franchise’s entire mismanaged—but always interesting—history, from its ballyhooed beginnings as a minor-league champion in the 1960s to its steep slide into oblivion in the late 1970s after moving to Cleveland. Through a comprehensive season-by-season narrative and a section of definitive statistics, Currier brings to life the Seals’ entire history with lighthearted anecdotes, personal interviews, and statistics about hockey’s most infamous losing team.
 

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  1. Print length
    496 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    University of Nebraska Press
  4. Publication date
    November 1, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    6.4 x 1.5 x 9.1 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0803288484
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0803288485
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is my kind of book. Steve Currier dives head first into the history of the Seals. . . . This detailed history of the ill-fated and often forgotten team lets us in on everything that was right, and especially everything that was wrong with the Seals. . . . These were real men with real highs and real lows. Lots of lows. Steve Currier takes us on a great trip back in time to the NHL’s original Northern California adventure.”—Ken Reid, anchor for SportsNet and author of Hockey Card Stories Published On: 2017-02-24

“[Steve Currier] tells the detailed story of this curious, sad sack franchise, chronicling both the legacy of losing and some colorful chapters in NHL history.”—Dave Buchanan, Arete

“The Seals are remembered today as one of the most colorful outfits in hockey history. And now the whole story of hockey, chaos, and heartbreak is expertly told in Steve Currier’s The California Golden Seals, a book that shines a long-overdue spotlight on a team and a time, the likes of which we shall never see again.”—Todd Denault, author of Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey Published On: 2017-02-24

"While the Seals were not a success on the ice or on the business pages, they left their mark in hockey history and their story is one that should be told. Currier does this in an entertaining manner and any hockey fan who wants to learn anything about this franchise should read this book."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports Books Published On: 2017-11-11

About the Author

Steve Currier is a hockey historian and member of the Society for International Hockey Research. He lives in Ottawa, Ontario, is a proud member of the Seals Booster Club, and is the creator and moderator of the tribute site GoldenSealsHockey.com.
 
 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Nebraska Press; Illustrated edition (November 1, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803288484
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803288485
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.95 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.4 x 1.5 x 9.1 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 93 ratings

About the author

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Steve Currier

Steve Currier

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Steve Currier was born in 1979 in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. He has been a hockey fan since the late 1980s, and has written the book, "The California Golden Seals: a Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL's Most Outlandish Teams". He is also the creator of the Seals tribute site goldensealshockey.com, which is also the home of the one and only Hockey Hall of Shame, which includes regular trips in the way-back machine to times when hockey really got things wrong. Steve is a member of the Society for International Hockey Research and the Seals Booster Club. He has lived in Ottawa, Ontario since 2004, and he has been teaching French to federal government employees for over ten years. He is currently writing a new book on the 1974 expansion which saw the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts enter the NHL. The book will cover the teams' first two seasons and their long-forgotten 1976 exhibition series in Japan where they competed for the Coca-Cola Bottlers' Cup.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
93 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

John A.
5.0 out of 5 stars How to Fail in Business!! Own a major league team with poor business practices.team
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
Great book that brought a childhood team to life—and I lived in CT! The book is well written and researched. Fascinating story about poor management, poor ownership, poor coaching, poor decision making! Trading away draft pics for worn out players. Great stories from the players and insight into league business. What I skimmed over was game play by play from 1967-78. I could care less that player X scored at 2:31 of the third period in a 5-1 loss. The meat of the book is about ownership—like 6 different owners, poor business strategies, etc. the chapters on moving to Cleveland were extremely insightful. Complete team stats in the appendix—fun to review!
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Scott Pellegrino
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was a book that I didn’t want to end. I was far too young to know of the Seals as a child, but as a former player and a student of the game I loved every word of this book. The history of our great game is in my humble opinion greater than any other sport and the Seals are a big part of it.
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Scott Blake
4.0 out of 5 stars The Seals are long gone but not forgotten.
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2020
Amazing to think that two books have been written in recent years about the Seals, who left the Bay Area in 1976 and soon after were merged with the North Stars. The author has done a very good job in bringing memories of those years back for me. They were my first favorite team and I saw them play at the Oakland Coliseum Arena many times.
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Tina
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
This was a great read. Brought back a lot of memories.
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James Queirolo
5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps Krazy George should have coached them (but then he had a stable job as a shop teacher)
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2018
Verified Purchase
I attended a number of Seals games in their later years (74-76). I loved how Mr. Currier told their story from the origins of professional hockey in the Bay Area to the Seals move to Cleveland and their ultimate demise (or I suppose I should say meager). I think this book is a MUST for any Bay Area Hockey fan who doesn't remember hockey before the Sharks came to town. Of course, for those Bay Area hockey fans who remember hockey BEFORE the Sharks came to town, this is a great read...an extremely well researched tome which will be greatly appreciated.

For the nonBay Area hockey fan, this is great story about everything that can, and mostly did, go wrong with a Second Six franchise.
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Sandi - Seals Booster Club
5.0 out of 5 stars Would You Believe White Skates?
Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2017
Verified Purchase
Currier has done excellent research to document the story of the California Golden Seals. He covers the history of the Seals from San Francisco to Oakland and has chapters on each season of the Seals in Oakland, plus almost 30 pages of amazing statistics for the team. From play-by-play descriptions of games to the management and ownership ups and down, to interviews from many of the players and fans plus others involved with the team, the trials and tribulations of the Seals are incredibly well documented. The reader gains insight on the personal experiences of those involved with the Seals over the years, including the fan support in spite of the difficulties of the team. This well written book is of interest to ice hockey fans in addition to Bay Area sports fans and to anyone interested in the mismanagement of a sports franchise. Highly recommended.
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tjr
3.0 out of 5 stars A serious read for Seals fans
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2021
Verified Purchase
Never detailed book with much info on the owners. Not so much from the players. Wish it had more pictures of games and players in color.
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John Radocy
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative read. Great sorces too!
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
This was a well researched book about a subject that many people have completely forgotten about. It was well written and covered everything about the long departed Seals. I would have loved to hear more of the day to day details from former players, to get a slightly better feel for what went on for each of them to keep their sanity. But otherwise, I thought the book was informative and fun.
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Top reviews from other countries

Alain Bergeron
5.0 out of 5 stars California Golsen Seals definite history book
Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2021
Verified Purchase
For any NHL Golden Seals and more globally California hockey expert or amateur, this is the ultimate book on the subject. Well searched, free of typos or facts mistakes, so well written it is unputdownable, this opus will make you regret the Seals are gone. The book starts with the debut of professional hockey in the Golden State and finished with the San Jose Sharks. You learn at the end that in 1976, political issues prevented San Francisco to have keep the NHL franchise...for good or at least a very long time. With San Jose succeeding there, it is proven that good ownership would have had California Golden Seals becoming one of the jewels of NHL instead of being remebred only for Charlie Finley's kelly green uniforms and white skates. I've put a 5/5 but if permitted, I would have put a 6/5. I think the author should begin writing books on other NHL franchises history, he is owning the recipe for sure.
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jasmine
5.0 out of 5 stars Great NHL book
Reviewed in Canada on January 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
The gift was for my father in law and he didn't put it down until it was finish.
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henry Federici
4.0 out of 5 stars history
Reviewed in Canada on March 9, 2023
Verified Purchase
Can't wait to read it. Reviews really excite me.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars as expected
Reviewed in Canada on September 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
arrived as expected and in good condition
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Steve
3.0 out of 5 stars A little too clinical.
Reviewed in Canada on October 4, 2020
Verified Purchase
Way too much on game summaries. Loved stories. Didn’t need a play by play of games.
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