Cleveland Barons (NHL)

Cleveland Barons
Founded1967
HistoryCalifornia Seals
1967
Oakland Seals
1967–1970
Bay Area Seals (briefly) / California Golden Seals
19701976
Cleveland Barons
19761978
Minnesota North Stars merger
June 14, 1978
Home arenaRichfield Coliseum
CityRichfield, Ohio
Team colorsRed, 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.

  1. ^ Lengel, David (May 14, 2015). "The forgotten story of ... the Barons, Cleveland's ill-fated NHL team". The Guardian.
  2. ^ Gretz, Adam (July 19, 2013). "Lost franchises: Remembering the NHL's Cleveland Barons". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 3, 2018.