Those Oakland Seals, the unloved waifs of the National Hockey League, have suddenly been thrust into the forefront of the league's annual meetings June 8-11.
Highlight of the meetings will be the expansion draft to stock Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres. Both clubs enter the NHL next season for a $6 million entry fee each.
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However, NHL president Clarence Campbell said a ruling Monday in San Francisco by Superior Court Judge Robert Schnacke means the Oakland situation will also receive close scrutiny even though it is not on the agenda.
Judge Schnacke adjourned the ownership dispute Monday until June 9. Campbell said Trans-National Communications Inc., current owner of the Seals, has been given until that date to find another purchaser for the club.
“Trans-National has been given a seven-day redemption period to pay outstanding debts or find another purchaser,” the league president said.
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The judge ruled that Trans-National defaulted on terms of its agreement last year to buy the three-year-old hockey club from Seals Ltd.
If Trans-National does not meet the June 9 date, Seals Ltd. — headed by original Oakland owner Barend Van Gerbig— proposes to sell to Charles 0. Finley, owner of baseball's American League Oakland Athletics, for $3,400,000.
However, Campbell said that only the NHL “can approve sales of the franchise for the purpose of being effective in the NHL.”
Campbell said next week's meetings will also have to tackle the matter of financial settlement with the American and Western Hockey Leagues for the NHL's expansion into the two new cities previously held by those leagues.
The WHL is asking $1.2 million in return for giving up Vancouver and the AHL is seeking $500,000 for the Buffalo intrusion.
Campbell said both indemnification issues must be settled before the meetings are over.
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The meetings will open Monday when the rules committee will consider several changes. Foremost will be a recommendation that stalling by the defending team be. cut to a minimum.
Also up for consideration is a complete new schedule of steeper fines.
Campbell said it is hoped a rule can be introduced this season whereby a player who discards his equipment “in a brawl” will be given no opportunity or time to pick it up before going to the penalty box.
Campbell said the owner-players council will discuss such subjects as “the matters of waivers and waiver prices,” commercial endorsements by the players and training camp allowances and pay for exhibition games.
The regular intra-league draft takes place next Tuesday with the 12 existing NHL clubs drafting from one another.
The inter-league draft will follow immediately, and the expansion draft, 24 hours later.
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