| Cleveland Barons | |
|---|---|
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| Founded | 1967 |
| History | California Seals 1967 Oakland Seals 1967–1970 Bay Area Seals (briefly) / California Golden Seals 1970–1976 Cleveland Barons 1976–1978 Minnesota North Stars merger June 14, 1978 |
| Home arena | Richfield Coliseum |
| City | Richfield, Ohio |
| Team colors | Red, black, white |
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 that had played in Oakland since 1967. After just two seasons, the team merged with the Minnesota North Stars (now the Dallas Stars). As a result, the NHL operated with 17 teams during the 1978–79 season.
The Barons remained the last franchise in the four major North American sports leagues to cease operations until the Arizona Coyotes in 2024.[1][2] They were also the first of the four majors to fold since the 1952 demise of the NFL's Dallas Texans. Ohio did not have another NHL team until the Columbus Blue Jackets joined the league 22 years later in 2000.
- ^ Lengel, David (May 14, 2015). "The forgotten story of ... the Barons, Cleveland's ill-fated NHL team". The Guardian.
- ^ Gretz, Adam (July 19, 2013). "Lost franchises: Remembering the NHL's Cleveland Barons". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 3, 2018.