Cleveland Barons (NHL)
| Cleveland Barons | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Founded | 1967 |
| History |
California Seals |
| Home arena | Richfield Coliseum |
| City | Richfield, Ohio |
| Colors | Red, black and white |
California Seals
1967
Oakland Seals
1967–1970
California Golden Seals
1970–1976
Cleveland Barons
1976–1978
The Cleveland Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1976 to 1978. They were a relocation of the California Golden Seals franchise, which had played in Oakland since 1967. After only two seasons, the team merged with the Minnesota North Stars (now the Dallas Stars). As a result the NHL fielded only 17 teams during the 1978–79 season.
As of 2017, the Barons remain the last franchise in the four major North American sports leagues to cease operations. Ohio did not have another NHL team until the Columbus Blue Jackets joined the league in 2000.
After new arena plans in San Francisco were cancelled, the NHL dropped its objection to a relocation of the troubled California Golden Seals franchise from Oakland. Minority owner George Gund III persuaded majority owner Melvin Swig to move the team to his hometown of Cleveland for the 1976–77 season. The team was named "Barons" after the successful team, in the American Hockey League (AHL), that played in the city from 1929 to 1973. The AHL Barons' owner, Nick Mileti, moved that team to Florida in favour of his Cleveland Crusaders team in the brand new World Hockey Association (WHA).
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