Sharks Celebrate California Golden Seals

Fifty years ago, before the San Jose Sharks made teal a must-wear color for all Bay Area hockey fans, the California Golden Seals took the ice as the first NHL team in the Bay Area.
The Seals - also known as the Oakland Seals and, for a brief two month stretch, the Bay Area Seals - were a 1967 NHL expansion franchise. In honor of the fifty year anniversary of that expansion, on Saturday the San Jose Sharks celebrated the Bay's first NHL team.

Before the game's festivities commenced, members of the Seals met with current members of the San Jose Sharks after Friday's practice and video session.

On Saturday, Seals alumni Ernie Hicke, Norm Ferguson, Bert Marshall, Dennis Maruk, Gilles Meloche and Gary Simmons signed autographs for teal- and green-clad fans prior to the game. Joining the players were pieces of Seals memorbilia from the team's nine seasons in the Bay Area. One of the most notable? A pennant from the incredibly brief time the team was known as the Bay Area Seals.

All fans at the game received a Seals t-shirt, complete with the Oakland Seals logo.

The five alumni at the game were later honored in an on-ice ceremony, with games-played leader Bert Marshall dropping the ceremonial puck.

Joining in on the festivities was Krazy George, the Bay Area sports legend who was a California Golden Seals cheerleader.