Hi everyone! I hope you have all had a great week. I, for one, had the opportunity to indulge in one of my passions: learning about the history of this great sport. Reading and writing are of course favorite activities of mine, but I also thoroughly enjoy shooting the breeze with retired players, and asking all those questions that I have burning in my brain for some time.

I had a nice conversation yesterday with WHA great Ron Ward, who just happens to hail from my hometown of Cornwall, Ontario. I sent him an interview request a few weeks ago, so I could ask him a few questions about a legendary game in which Ward’s Cleveland Crusaders came back from a six-goal deficit to defeat the Toronto Toros, 10-9. I’ve written a chapter about this game in my new book, Mucking in the Corners, which is due for release next October. We had a very pleasant conversation, as is always the case when you get to talk old-time hockey with someone who has retired from the game. I absolutely love doing these interviews. I wasn’t planning on doing any for this book, but the more I reflected on it, I just couldn’t resist reaching out to a couple of players who feature prominently in the book. Ward’s insight into the forgotten, but immensely interesting game was truly appreciated. He revealed details to me that I never could have found in newspapers and magazines, like what the players were thinking as they were down 8-2 in the second period, and how a couple of guys (one of which was former Seal Paul Shmyr) rallied everyone in the dressing room and sparked the huge comeback. I can’t wait for all of you to read the book, and I will continue to keep you updated on its progress, so stay tuned!

While I had a pleasant chat with a local hockey legend, the Seals also hoped, way back in their early NHL years, to have a local step up to keep the floundering team in Oakland. This was no easy feat as Barry van Gerbig could not seem to attract any Bay Area money, so people came out of the woodwork to rescue the ailing franchise. This week, I’ve added a new article detailing the 1969 sale of the Oakland Seals to a group of New Yorkers that included Trans-National Communications, Seymour and Northrup Knox, Whitey Ford, Pat Summerall, Dick Lynch, and probably a few other lesser-known people. As is usually the case when a convoluted ownership group purchases a sports franchise, things didn’t go so well, and in a little over a year, the group was looking to sell the Seals. This time, they managed to find (sort of) local ownership, but when you think about how Charlie Finley nearly destroyed the team, things actually got worse. You can read this week’s article, courtesy of Bob Marceau, right here.

Until next time, stay gold!