Hi everyone! I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! This week, we’re going back to January 15, 1971. The Seals are just coming off a 1-1 tie with Toronto, a game in which Gary Smith made an incredible 50 saves. It was the conclusion of a brutal 10 games out of 12 stretch on the road which, in retrospect, killed the Seals’ playoff chances. The Seals’ first game back at home was against the New York Rangers, a team that was on the rise, and loaded with all-stars. But the Rangers were not the Seals’ sole focus that night. Fred Glover announced earlier that day that the Seals were abandoning their intention of broadcasting any more games on TV for the remainder of the season. Head on over to the articles section to read this week’s article, provided courtesy of Bob Marceau. Thanks again, Bob!
On a sadder note, you’ve probably already heard the news by now that Hall-of-Fame goaltender Ken Dryden has passed away following a battle with cancer. I mention this because Dryden had a few links to the Seals. Both of these anecdotes are in my Seals book. I remember reading in the Hockey News during the 1973-74 season, when Dryden was off following a contract dispute with the Canadiens, that the Seals were rumoured to be trying to acquire him in exchange for Gilles Meloche. I’m not sure how credible this story is, but it is fascinating to think how such a trade could have altered both franchises. I also remember a story Gary Simmons told me about a time when he and Dryden were chatting, and Dryden admitted to Simmons that if he ever got traded to California (or perhaps it was Cleveland), he would consider retiring. I’m not sure how serious such a threat would have been, but it goes to show just how much of an uphill battle it was for Simmons, Meloche, and other Seals goalies to guard the cage, and the kind of respect the very best goaltenders in the league had for their California brethren.
Until next time, stay gold!
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