At the end of the 1976 offseason, the California Golden Seals relocated suddenly to Cleveland, OH. Well, to Richfield, OH halfway between Cleveland and Akron. After San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto lost reelection, the Seals' plan for a large new SF arena died, and minority owner George Gund convinced ownership to move up to Ohio.
The suddenness of the move meant that the Barons arrived in town to almost no fanfare or publicity and dismal crowd sizes. By the midpoint of that season, ownership knew they needed help or the club might fold. In February, the team missed two payroll periods, and much of the rest of the league was struggling in the face of the upstart WHA. A last minute bailout saved the team's season, and at the end, Mel Swig sold the team to the Gund brothers: George and Gordon.
Despite their best efforts, even the Gunds couldn't make hockey successful in Cleveland and entered talks with the struggling Minnesota North Stars to merge in an effort to only contract the league by one team instead of two. The Gunds took ownership of the combined Minnesota North Stars franchise and were able to protect twelve players from each of the two franchises. A dispersal draft allowed the five worst NHL teams to pick from the remaining players.
An interesting sidenote: the Richfield Coliseum was purchased by the National Parks Service in 1999 and demolished. It is now part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Among their notable players were:
The suddenness of the move meant that the Barons arrived in town to almost no fanfare or publicity and dismal crowd sizes. By the midpoint of that season, ownership knew they needed help or the club might fold. In February, the team missed two payroll periods, and much of the rest of the league was struggling in the face of the upstart WHA. A last minute bailout saved the team's season, and at the end, Mel Swig sold the team to the Gund brothers: George and Gordon.
Despite their best efforts, even the Gunds couldn't make hockey successful in Cleveland and entered talks with the struggling Minnesota North Stars to merge in an effort to only contract the league by one team instead of two. The Gunds took ownership of the combined Minnesota North Stars franchise and were able to protect twelve players from each of the two franchises. A dispersal draft allowed the five worst NHL teams to pick from the remaining players.
An interesting sidenote: the Richfield Coliseum was purchased by the National Parks Service in 1999 and demolished. It is now part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Among their notable players were:
Team Captains
- Jim Neilson 1975-1976 (co-captaincy)
- Bob Stewart 1975-1976 (co-captaincy)
Other
- Dennis Maruk (the last active player to play for the Barons)
- Mike Crombeen (father of B.J. Crombeen)
| General Manager: | Bill McCreary | 1976-1977 |
| General Manager: | Harry Howell | 1977-1978 |
| Head Coach: | Jack Evans | 1976-1978 |
Season Stats
| Season | Wins | Losses | Ties | Goals For | Goals Against | Goals Leader | Assists Leader | Points Leader | Penalty Minutes Leader | Wins Leader | GAA Leader |
| 1976-1977 | 25 | 42 | 13 | 240 | 292 | Dennis Maruk (28) | Dennis Maruk (50) | Dennis Maruk (78) | Len Frig (213) | Gilles Meloche (19) | Gilles Meloche (3.47) |
| 1977-1978 | 22 | 45 | 13 | 230 | 325 | Dennis Maruk (36) | Dennis Maruk (35) | Dennis Maruk (71) | Randy Holt (229) | Gilles Meloche (16) | Gilles Meloche (3.77) |