Los Angeles Sports Arena general manager Bill Nicholas had already told the National Hockey League that he would affiliate with the WHL if he were not awarded an NHL expansion franchise by the summer of 1961.

On April 23, 1961, the WHL granted an expansion franchise for San Francisco to former Vancouver Canucks owner Coleman (Coley) Hall, on the condition that an ice surface be installed in the Cow Palace.

Following McNab's departure to take over the Vancouver Canucks, the Seals lured coach and general manager Norman "Bud" Poile south from the defending champion Flyers.

Led by hard-nosed players such as Orland Kurtenbach, Larry McNabb, Nick Mickoski and Charlie Burns, the Seals developed a fierce rivalry with the Portland Buckaroos, perennial WHL front-runners.

In the 1963 Lester Patrick Cup finals, the Seals faced the Totems, with all seven games played at the Cow Palace due to scheduling conflicts in Seattle.

[3] Even though the WHL contracted in 1963–64 – Edmonton and Calgary both requested a leave of absence following the playoffs – the Seals finished a distant fourth during the regular season behind the Denver Invaders, who had relocated from Spokane.

But superb play from forward Al Nicholson and goalie Bob Perreault helped the Seals win the final three games of their first-round playoff series against Portland.

He relocated the club from the Cow Palace to the brand-new Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum across the bay in Oakland for what was their final WHL season in 1966–67, changing their name to the California Seals.

As the organization left behind its WHL history and started anew as an NHL expansion franchise, the team retained the "California Seals" name in an effort to appeal to fans in both San Francisco and Oakland.