Pennant Fever #5: California Golden Seals
Here’s a gem from the NHL of the 1970s. It’s an undated pennant for the California Golden Seals. The franchise began play in 1961 as the WHL’s San Francisco Seals, changed to the California Seals in 1966, and became the Oakland Seals when they became an NHL expansion franchise in 1967.
The team was purchased by Oakland A’s owner Charlie Finley in 1970. Finley promptly changed the team’s colors to the same green and gold as the A’s, and also changed the name to California Golden Seals.
Another element you can see on the pennant is the artistic player rendering. That is actually based off a real player, in this case Carol Vadnais, who was the team’s captain until he was traded in February 1972.
The Seals and their neat pennants disappeared in 1976, when the franchise relocated to Cleveland to play two ill-fated seasons as the Barons.
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Don’t forget to check out the rest of my Pennant Fever entries.
valjean
Finley promptly changed the team’s colors to the same green and gold as
the A’s, and also changed the name to California Golden Seals.
… and don’t forget — like the A’s — he mandated white footwear. White skates had heretofore (and since, I believe) been worn only by female ice skaters. I’m to understand most of the Seals weren’t terribly keen on this maneuver — and became the butt of many a joke from their opponents.