Table of Contents
1961 News
January 1, 1961
January 2, 1961
January 3, 1961
January 4, 1961
January 5, 1961
January 6, 1961
January 7, 1961
January 8, 1961
January 9, 1961
January 10, 1961
January 11, 1961
January 12, 1961
January 13, 1961
January 14, 1961
January 15, 1961
January 16, 1961
January 17, 1961
January 18, 1961
January 19, 1961
January 20, 1961
January 21, 1961
January 22, 1961
January 23, 1961
January 24, 1961
January 25, 1961
January 26, 1961
January 27, 1961
January 28, 1961
January 29, 1961
January 30, 1961
January 31, 1961
February 1, 1961
February 2, 1961
February 3, 1961
February 4, 1961
February 5, 1961
February 6, 1961
February 7, 1961
February 8, 1961
February 9, 1961
February 10, 1961
February 11, 1961
February 12, 1961
February 13, 1961
February 14, 1961
February 15, 1961
February 16, 1961
February 17, 1961
February 18, 1961
February 19, 1961
February 20, 1961
February 21, 1961
February 22, 1961
February 23, 1961
February 24, 1961
February 25, 1961
February 26, 1961
February 27, 1961
February 28, 1961
March 1, 1961
March 2, 1961
March 3, 1961
March 4, 1961
March 5, 1961
March 6, 1961
March 7, 1961
March 8, 1961
March 9, 1961
March 10, 1961
March 11, 1961
March 12, 1961
March 13, 1961
March 14, 1961
March 15, 1961
March 16, 1961
March 17, 1961
March 18, 1961
March 19, 1961
March 20, 1961
March 21, 1961
March 22, 1961
March 23, 1961
March 24, 1961
March 25, 1961
March 26, 1961
March 27, 1961
March 28, 1961
March 29, 1961
March 30, 1961
March 31, 1961
April 1, 1961
April 2, 1961
April 3, 1961
April 4, 1961
April 5, 1961
April 6, 1961
April 7, 1961
The Associated Press reported that the president of the Western Hockey League's Spokane Comets, Melvin Smith, said there was discussion at the league's meetings in Seattle of moving his team to either San Francisco or Los Angeles.
April 8, 1961
April 9, 1961
April 10, 1961
April 11, 1961
April 12, 1961
April 13, 1961
April 14, 1961
April 15, 1961
April 16, 1961
April 17, 1961
April 18, 1961
April 19, 1961
April 20, 1961
April 21, 1961
April 22, 1961
April 23, 1961
News
At a meeting in Vancouver, the Western Hockey League announced they would add San Francisco as an expansion team for the 1961-62 season. The owner of the new team would be Vancouver hotel magnate Coley Hall. Hall had previously owned a loop team based in his hometown. The new team was expected to play in the Cow Palace, though a contract would have to be negotiated.
April 24, 1961
April 25, 1961
April 26, 1961
April 27, 1961
April 28, 1961
April 29, 1961
April 30, 1961
May 1, 1961
May 2, 1961
May 3, 1961
May 4, 1961
May 5, 1961
May 6, 1961
May 7, 1961
May 8, 1961
May 9, 1961
May 10, 1961
May 11, 1961
May 12, 1961
May 13, 1961
May 14, 1961
May 15, 1961
May 16, 1961
May 17, 1961
May 18, 1961
May 19, 1961
May 20, 1961
May 21, 1961
May 22, 1961
May 23, 1961
May 24, 1961
May 25, 1961
May 26, 1961
May 27, 1961
May 28, 1961
May 29, 1961
May 30, 1961
May 31, 1961
June 1, 1961
June 2, 1961
June 3, 1961
June 4, 1961
June 5, 1961
June 6, 1961
June 7, 1961
June 8, 1961
June 9, 1961
June 10, 1961
June 11, 1961
June 12, 1961
June 13, 1961
News
The Cow Palace directors approved a contract that would provide a rink for the Western Hockey League's new San Francisco entry in the fall. The plan was now in the hands of team president Coley Hall who would have to give his approval to finalize the deal.
June 14, 1961
June 15, 1961
June 16, 1961
June 17, 1961
June 18, 1961
June 19, 1961
June 20, 1961
June 21, 1961
June 22, 1961
June 23, 1961
June 24, 1961
June 25, 1961
June 26, 1961
June 27, 1961
June 28, 1961
June 29, 1961
June 30, 1961
July 1, 1961
July 2, 1961
July 3, 1961
July 4, 1961
July 5, 1961
July 6, 1961
July 7, 1961
July 8, 1961
July 9, 1961
July 10, 1961
July 11, 1961
July 12, 1961
July 13, 1961
July 14, 1961
July 15, 1961
July 16, 1961
July 17, 1961
July 18, 1961
July 19, 1961
July 20, 1961
July 21, 1961
July 22, 1961
July 23, 1961
July 24, 1961
July 25, 1961
July 26, 1961
July 27, 1961
July 28, 1961
July 29, 1961
July 30, 1961
July 31, 1961
August 1, 1961
August 2, 1961
August 3, 1961
August 4, 1961
August 5, 1961
August 6, 1961
August 7, 1961
August 8, 1961
August 9, 1961
August 10, 1961
August 11, 1961
August 12, 1961
August 13, 1961
August 14, 1961
August 15, 1961
August 16, 1961
August 17, 1961
August 18, 1961
August 19, 1961
August 20, 1961
August 21, 1961
August 22, 1961
August 23, 1961
August 24, 1961
August 25, 1961
August 26, 1961
August 27, 1961
August 28, 1961
August 29, 1961
August 30, 1961
August 31, 1961
September 1, 1961
September 2, 1961
September 3, 1961
September 4, 1961
September 5, 1961
September 6, 1961
September 7, 1961
September 8, 1961
September 9, 1961
September 10, 1961
September 11, 1961
September 12, 1961
September 13, 1961
September 14, 1961
September 15, 1961
September 16, 1961
September 17, 1961
September 18, 1961
September 19, 1961
September 20, 1961
September 21, 1961
September 22, 1961
September 23, 1961
September 24, 1961
September 25, 1961
September 26, 1961
September 27, 1961
September 28, 1961
September 29, 1961
September 30, 1961
October 1, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals fell to the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL, 3-0, in an exhibition contest in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
October 2, 1961
October 3, 1961
October 4, 1961
October 5, 1961
October 6, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals played to a 2-2 tie in a WHL exhibition game against the Portland Buckaroos in Chilliwack, British Columbia. San Francisco goaltender Bev Bentley took a skate blade across his left temple, opening a gash that took fifteen stitches to close. He was expected to miss a couple of weeks to heal.
October 7, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals lost to the Portland Buckaroos, 4-3, in a WHL exhibition match in Victoria, British Columbia. Newcomer left winger Duke Edmundson opened the scoring for San Francisco with a first-period goal.
October 8, 1961
October 9, 1961
October 10, 1961
The Big Story
With Don Hamilton in goal for the injured Bev Bentley, the Seals beat the Seattle Totems, 2-0, in a WHL exhibition game in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
October 11, 1961
October 12, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals announced that Bev Bentley would be in goal for the team when they opened their inaugural Western Hockey League regular season in Seattle tomorrow night against the Totems. He appearance was a surprise as he had been expected to miss at least another week after suffering a head wound last week.
October 13, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals were thumped, 8-3, by the Totems in their WHL regular season debut in Seattle.
October 14, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals fell to the Comets, 3-1, in Spokane. Comets defenseman Bill Folk was hospitalized after collapsing on the bench following a blow to his chest while he was on the ice.
October 15, 1961
October 16, 1961
The Big Story
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors formally requested that Mayor George Christopher designate the week of November 13-18 to be “San Francisco Seals Ice Hockey Week.”
October 17, 1961
The Big Story
Three Seals players scored two goals each as San Francisco beat the Stampeders, 9-6, in Calgary, to earn their first WHL regular season win.
October 18, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals fell to the Flyers, 4-1, in Edmonton. The game closed on a benches-clearing brawl with under a minute left.
October 19, 1961
October 20, 1961
The Edmonton Flyers scored four second-period goals on their way to a 5-1 win over the Seals in Edmonton.
October 21, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals lost to the Stampeders, 5-2, in Calgary, their fifth defeat in six tries.
October 22, 1961
October 23, 1961
October 24, 1961
The Big Story
Looking to improve a unit that had given up 31 goals in six games, the Seals acquired three new defensemen: Hugh Currie by purchase from the Stampeders, James Hay from the Los Angeles Blades, and Jim Wilcox from the NHL Maple Leafs. Hay was received from Los Angeles in trade for left winger Real Chevrefils and a player to be named later.
October 25, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals lost their fourth straight, a 3-1 decision at the hands of the Buckaroos in Portland.
October 26, 1961
October 27, 1961
The Big Story
The Seals lost to the Vancouver Canucks, 2-0, in Vancouver, but the game was marked by a bizarre incident in which team owner Coley Hall leaped onto the ice late in the game and accosted referee Scotty Morrison to complain vigorously about what he considered a bad call. The league would later fine Hall $500 for the transgression.
October 28, 1961
The Big Story
In their worst defeat of what was, so far, a dismal inaugural season, the Seals fell to the Totems, 11-1, in Seattle. The Totems scored eight goals in the second period to tie a WHL record.