1967–68 Oakland Seals season

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

1967–68 Oakland Seals
Division6th West
1967–68 record15–42–17
Goals for153
Goals against219
Team information
General manager Bert Olmstead (Oct–Mar)
Frank Selke Jr. (Mar–Apr)
CoachBert Olmstead
Captain Bobby Baun
Average attendance4,960
Team leaders
Goals Bill Hicke (21)
Assists Charlie Burns (26)
Points Gerry Ehman (44)
Penalty minutes Tracy Pratt (90)
Wins Charlie Hodge (13)
Goals against average Charlie Hodge (2.86)
1968–69  

The 1967–68 Oakland Seals season was their first season in the National Hockey League (NHL). It began inauspiciously, with the firing of General Manager Rudy Pilous before the expansion draft. [1] The Seals started their inaugural season with Hall of Famer Bert Olmstead as both coach and general manager, assisted by Gord Fashoway. [1]

Contents

Season overview

Bert Olmstead, the Seals' first coach and general manager Bert Olmstead.jpg
Bert Olmstead, the Seals' first coach and general manager

The team began the season as the California Seals in an attempt to cater to a larger audience, but this did not work; it was changed on December 8, 1967, and the team became known as the Oakland Seals. [2] Despite winning the first two games of the season, the Seals won only 13 more en route to an NHL-worst record of 15–42–17. That gave the Seals 47 points, and they failed to qualify for the playoffs in their inaugural season in the NHL. Bert Olmstead served as the first coach and general manager of the team, though in early February 1968 he gave up coaching to his assistant coach, Gord Fashoway; in 43 games Olstead had a record of 10 wins, 32 losses, and 11 ties. [3]

The team was not strong financially; late in the season the ownership group, led by Barry Van Gerbig began to look at selling. [4] There were several interested groups, though two of them wanted to move the team to Canada, and as the NHL's new television contract called for a team in the San Francisco Bay area that was not possible. [5] Attendance was low, with an average of 4,960 people per game, and the team lost an estimated $1.8 million over the season. [6]

Offseason

Expansion draft

#PlayerDrafted from
1. Charlie Hodge (G) Montreal Canadiens
2. Gary Smith (G) Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Bob Baun (D) Toronto Maple Leafs
4. Kent Douglas (D)Toronto Maple Leafs
5. Bill Hicke (RW) New York Rangers
6. Billy Harris (W) Detroit Red Wings
7. Larry Cahan (D)New York Rangers
8. Wally Boyer (W) Chicago Black Hawks
9. Joe Szura (W)Montreal Canadiens
10. Bob Lemieux (D)Montreal Canadiens
11. J. P. Parise (LW)Boston Bruins
12. Ron Harris (D/W)Boston Bruins
13. Terry Clancy (W)Toronto Maple Leafs
14. Tracy Pratt (D)Chicago Black Hawks
15. Aut Erickson (D)Toronto Maple Leafs
16. Ron Boehm (W)New York Rangers
17. Alain Caron (W)Chicago Black Hawks
18. Mike Laughton (W)Toronto Maple Leafs
19. Bryan Hextall (W)New York Rangers
20. Gary Kilpatrick (D)Chicago Black Hawks

Amateur draft

RoundPickPlayerNationalityCollege/junior/club team
13 Ken Hicks Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg CanadaBrandon Wheat Kings (MJHL)
212Gary WoodFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg CanadaFort Frances Royals (MJHL)
318Kevin SmithFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg CanadaHalifax Colonels (MVJBHL)

Regular season

On January 13, 1968, 4 minutes into a game against the Minnesota North Stars at the Met Center, Bill Masterton was checked by Larry Cahan and Ron Harris, and fell backwards onto the ice. The force of the back of his head hitting the ice caused significant internal bleeding. Masterton lost consciousness and never regained it: he died two days later. [7]

Final standings

West Division [8]
GPWLTGFGADIFFPts
1 Philadelphia Flyers 74313211173179−673
2 Los Angeles Kings 74313310200224−2472
3 St. Louis Blues 74273116177191−1470
4 Minnesota North Stars 74273215191226−3569
5 Pittsburgh Penguins 74273413195216−2167
6 Oakland Seals 74154217153219−6647

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

No.RDateScoreOpponentRecord
1WOctober 11, 19675–1 Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)1–0–0
2WOctober 14, 19676–0 Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)2–0–0
3TOctober 18, 19672–2 Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)2–0–1
4LOctober 21, 19671–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)2–1–1
5LOctober 22, 19672–5@ Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)2–2–1
6LOctober 25, 19671–4@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)2–3–1
7LOctober 26, 19672–8@ Detroit Red Wings (1967–68)2–4–1
8LOctober 28, 19672–5@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1967–68)2–5–1
9TOctober 29, 19672–2@ Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)2–5–2
10LNovember 1, 19670–2 New York Rangers (1967–68)2–6–2
11LNovember 4, 19670–1 Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)2–7–2
12TNovember 5, 19672–2 Chicago Black Hawks (1967–68)2–7–3
13LNovember 7, 19674–5@ Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)2–8–3
14LNovember 8, 19671–6 Toronto Maple Leafs (1967–68)2–9–3
15LNovember 11, 19671–2@ Boston Bruins (1967–68)2–10–3
16LNovember 12, 19673–5@ New York Rangers (1967–68)2–11–3
17WNovember 15, 19674–1 Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)3–11–3
18TNovember 16, 19671–1 Detroit Red Wings (1967–68)3–11–4
19WNovember 18, 19672–1 Montreal Canadiens (1967–68)4–11–4
20LNovember 22, 19671–3@ Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)4–12–4
21TNovember 25, 19672–2 Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)4–12–5
22LNovember 29, 19671–6@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)4–13–5
23WNovember 30, 19673–1@ Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)5–13–5
24LDecember 2, 19670–3@ Toronto Maple Leafs (1967–68)5–14–5
25WDecember 6, 19674–2 Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)6–14–5
26LDecember 9, 19670–1 St. Louis Blues (1967–68)6–15–5
27LDecember 13, 19671–3@ St. Louis Blues (1967–68)6–16–5
28WDecember 15, 19674–1 Boston Bruins (1967–68)7–16–5
29LDecember 16, 19670–1 Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)7–17–5
30LDecember 19, 19671–3@ Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)7–18–5
31LDecember 20, 19671–2 St. Louis Blues (1967–68)7–19–5
32LDecember 23, 19672–4@ Montreal Canadiens (1967–68)7–20–5
33LDecember 25, 19673–6@ Boston Bruins (1967–68)7–21–5
34TDecember 27, 19670–0@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)7–21–6
35LDecember 30, 19670–2@ Montreal Canadiens (1967–68)7–22–6
36LDecember 31, 19670–3@ Chicago Black Hawks (1967–68)7–23–6
37LJanuary 3, 19680–4@ St. Louis Blues (1967–68)7–24–6
38LJanuary 4, 19683–9@ Detroit Red Wings (1967–68)7–25–6
39TJanuary 6, 19685–5 Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)7–25–7
40WJanuary 7, 19686–0 Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)8–25–7
41TJanuary 10, 19682–2 St. Louis Blues (1967–68)8–25–8
42TJanuary 13, 19682–2@ Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)8–25–9
43LJanuary 14, 19683–6 Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)8–26–9
44TJanuary 17, 19681–1 Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)8–26–10
45LJanuary 20, 19680–3 New York Rangers (1967–68)8–27–10
46WJanuary 21, 19683–0 Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)9–27–10
47WJanuary 24, 19684–1@ Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)10–27–10
48LJanuary 27, 19681–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)10–28–10
49LJanuary 28, 19682–4@ New York Rangers (1967–68)10–29–10
50TFebruary 1, 19683–3@ Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)10–29–11
51LFebruary 3, 19681–4@ St. Louis Blues (1967–68)10–30–11
52LFebruary 4, 19683–4@ Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)10–31–11
53LFebruary 7, 19681–4 Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)10–32–11
54LFebruary 10, 19682–5 Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)10–33–11
55WFebruary 11, 19684–3 Toronto Maple Leafs (1967–68)11–33–11
56WFebruary 14, 19684–0 Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)12–33–11
57WFebruary 17, 19683–1 Boston Bruins (1967–68)13–33–11
58LFebruary 21, 19680–1 Chicago Black Hawks (1967–68)13–34–11
59WFebruary 24, 19683–1@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)14–34–11
60TFebruary 25, 19683–3@ Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)14–34–12
61WFebruary 28, 19686–3 Minnesota North Stars (1967–68)15–34–12
62TMarch 2, 19686–6@ Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)15–34–13
63TMarch 3, 19681–1@ Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)15–34–14
64LMarch 6, 19680–2 Montreal Canadiens (1967–68)15–35–14
65LMarch 7, 19682–9@ Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)15–36–14
66LMarch 9, 19681–3@ St. Louis Blues (1967–68)15–37–14
67LMarch 10, 19680–1 St. Louis Blues (1967–68)15–38–14
68LMarch 13, 19682–4 Detroit Red Wings (1967–68)15–39–14
69TMarch 15, 19681–1@ St. Louis Blues (1967–68)15–39–15
70LMarch 17, 19681–4@ Chicago Black Hawks (1967–68)15–40–15
71LMarch 20, 19681–5 Philadelphia Flyers (1967–68)15–41–15
72TMarch 23, 19683–3 St. Louis Blues (1967–68)15–41–16
73LMarch 27, 19684–7 Pittsburgh Penguins (1967–68)15–42–16
74TMarch 30, 19682–2 Los Angeles Kings (1967–68)15–42–17

Player statistics

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in minutes

   Regular season   Playoffs
Player#GPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
Gerry Ehman 87319254420
Bill Hicke 95221194032
Charlie Burns 20739263520
Wally Boyer 67413203344
Billy Harris 7621217292
Ted Hampson 1034819274
Larry Cahan 5749152480
Alain Caron 12589132218
Larry Popein 17475141912
George Swarbrick 14491351862
John Brenneman 16311081814
Kent Douglas 19404111580
Aut Erickson 4654111546
Bob Baun 21673101381
Gerry Odrowski 1042461010
Ron Harris 1554461060
Mike Laughton 223526838
Tracy Pratt 23405590
Joe Szura 182013410
Bert Marshall 192004418
Ron Boehm 111621310
Tom Thurlby 3201234
Bob Lemieux 21901112
Gary Smith 30210114
Jean Cusson 2220000
Terry Clancy 1770002
Charlie Hodge 1580004

[10]

Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Seals. Stats reflect time with the Seals only. Traded mid-season

Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L= Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

  Regular season Playoffs
Player#GPTOIWLTGASOGAAGPTOIWLGASOGAA
Charlie Hodge 15833111329315832.86
Gary Smith 3021112921346013.19

[10]

Transactions

The Seals were involved in the following transactions during the 1967–68 season:

Trades

October 3, 1967To California Seals
Gerry Ehman
To Toronto Maple Leafs
Bryan Hextall Jr.
J. P. Parise
December, 1967To Oakland Seals
Larry Popein
To New York Rangers
cash
January 9, 1968To Oakland Seals
John Brenneman
Ted Hampson
Bert Marshall
To Detroit Red Wings
Kent Douglas

Playoffs

The Seals did not qualify for the playoffs

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota North Stars</span> Former National Hockey League team (1967–1993)

The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white. The North Stars played 2,062 regular season games and made the NHL playoffs 17 times, including two Stanley Cup Finals appearances, but were unable to win the Stanley Cup. After the 1992–93 season, the franchise moved to Dallas, and the team was renamed the Dallas Stars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Golden Seals</span> Former National Hockey League team (1967–1976)

The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1976. Based in Oakland, California, they played their home games at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of the 1967 NHL expansion. Initially named the California Seals, the team was renamed the Oakland Seals during the 1967–68 season and then the Bay Area Seals in 1970 before becoming the California Golden Seals the same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Seals (ice hockey)</span> Ice hockey team in Oakland, California

The San Francisco Seals were a minor league hockey team which played in the Western Hockey League from 1961 to 1967.

The 1967–68 NHL season was the 51st season of the National Hockey League. The league expanded to 12 teams, putting the new six in the newly created West Division, while the "Original Six" were all placed in the newly created East Division. The regular season schedule was expanded to 74 games per team and featured the first time all twelve teams played games on the same day on October 18, 1967. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup against the new St. Louis Blues, in four games.

William Masterton was a Canadian American professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Minnesota North Stars in 1967–68. He is the only player in NHL history to die as a direct result of injuries suffered during a game, the result of massive head injuries suffered following a hit during a January 13, 1968 contest against the Oakland Seals.

The 1968–69 NHL season was the 52nd season of the National Hockey League. Twelve teams each played 76 games. For the second time in a row, the Montreal Canadiens faced the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals. Montreal won their second consecutive Stanley Cup as they swept the Blues in four, an identical result to the previous season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Hampson</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Edward George Hampson is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre, who played in the National Hockey League and World Hockey Association during the 1960s and 70s. Ted is the father of Gord Hampson.

Gordon Walter Fashoway was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and coach. He played 13 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1950–51 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1945 to 1964, was mainly spent in the Western Hockey League. After his playing career Fashoway worked as a coach, and coached the Oakland Seals for 10 games in the 1967–68 season. He was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

The 1967–68 St. Louis Blues season was the inaugural season in the history of the franchise. The Blues were one of the six new teams added to the NHL in the 1967 expansion. The other franchises were the Minnesota North Stars, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and California Seals. The league doubled in size from its Original Six.

The 1967–68 Minnesota North Stars season was the team's inaugural season in the National Hockey League (NHL). They finished fourth in the West Division with a record of 27 wins, 32 losses, and 15 ties for 69 points. In the playoffs, they defeated the Los Angeles Kings in seven games in the Quarter-finals before losing to the St. Louis Blues in the Semi-finals, also in seven games.

The 1967–68 Los Angeles Kings season was the first season for the Kings in the National Hockey League. The Kings qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs but lost in their first playoff series.

The 1970–1971 Buffalo Sabres season was the Sabres' 1st season in the National Hockey League.

The 1982–83 Calgary Flames season was the third season in Calgary and 11th for the Flames franchise in the National Hockey League. Despite finishing the season below .500, the Flames had their best ever finish in the division standings, placing second in the Smythe Division. In the playoffs, Calgary was able to avenge the previous season's defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks by knocking off Vancouver in four games. In the second round, the Flames met up with their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, for the first time. The series would not be close, as Edmonton powered past Calgary in five games, including humiliating 10–2 and 9–1 victories over the Flames.

The 1968–69 Oakland Seals season was the Seals' second season in the National Hockey League. For the first time in their history they qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs after finishing second in the West Division, with a record of 29–36–11. They were upset in the playoffs, losing their quarter-finals series to the fourth-place Los Angeles Kings in seven games.

The 1969–70 Oakland Seals season was the Seals' third season in the NHL. They qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second year in a row, and were again eliminated in the first round. It was the last time the Seals qualified for the playoffs.

The 1970–71 California Golden Seals season was the Seals' fourth in the NHL, but their first as the Golden Seals. Oakland Athletics owner Charlie O. Finley bought the team in the offseason for approximately $4,500,000. He announced a name change in which his team would be called the Bay Area Seals. On October 16, after the first two games of the season, Finley changed the name once again. The team became known as the California Golden Seals in an attempt to draw fans from across the state of California, in particular from nearby San Francisco. Along with the name change came new green and gold colours, and a new logo and uniforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bert Olmstead</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Murray Albert Olmstead was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL). Olmstead began his career with the Black Hawks in 1949. In December 1950, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens via Detroit. Olmstead had his best statistical years playing for Montreal, leading the league in assists in 1954–55 with 48, and setting a league record for assists with 56 the following season. During this time he frequently played on Montreal's top line with Jean Beliveau and Bernie Geoffrion. Olmstead was claimed in the 1958 NHL Intra-League Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and played there until his retirement in 1962.

Frederick Austin Glover was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played 92 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks between 1949 and 1952, though most of his career, which lasted from 1947 to 1968, was with the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL). After his playing career he coached the Barons for several years, and coached in the NHL with the Oakland Seals/California Golden Seals and Los Angeles Kings between 1968 and 1974, also serving as general manager of the Golden Seals on two occasions during that time. He was the brother of Howie Glover, who also played in the NHL.

The 1968–69 Los Angeles Kings season was the second ever for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League. After finishing a surprising second place during the 1967–68 season, the Kings stumbled in their second regular season, finishing with a 24–42–10 record, good for 58 points and fourth place in the six-team Western Division. The Kings made the playoffs, losing in the West Division Final to the St. Louis Blues.

References

  1. 1 2 Seals: 1967–1968 Season Retrieved 2010-07-15
  2. Currier 2017 , p. 52
  3. Currier 2017 , p. 61
  4. Currier 2017 , p. 63
  5. Currier 2017 , pp. 64–65
  6. Currier 2017 , p. 67
  7. Currier 2017 , pp. 56–57
  8. "1967–1968 Division Standings Standings - NHL.com - Standings". National Hockey League.
  9. "All-Time NHL Results". NHL.com. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Oakland Seals (1967–1969) 1967 Stats, History, Awards and More Archived 2011-07-08 at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography

  • Currier, Steve (2017), The California Golden Seals: A Tale of White Skates, Red Ink, and One of the NHL's Most Outlandish Teams, Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, ISBN   978-0-8032-8848-5