Byron James Seaman (September 7, 1923April 24, 2021) was a Canadian businessman. He was the co-owner of the

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL) for three decades from 1980 until 2010.

Early life

Seaman was born in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, on September 7, 1923. He was one of four children of Byron Luther Seaman and Mae Patton, who were both born and raised in the United States. He attended the

University of Saskatchewan The University of Saskatchewan (U of S, or USask) is a Universities in Canada, Canadian public university, public research university, founded on March 19, 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatch ...

and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering in 1945.

Career

Seaman moved to Alberta shortly after graduating to work in the oil industry with his two brothers, Donald and Daryl Seaman. They first established Seaman Engineering and Drilling Co. Ltd. (shortened to Sedco). It became noted for providing the option of turnkey contracts at a fixed price, rather than bidding a price for every foot drilled. The company also covered a portion of the drilling costs to secure the contract, as well as for services like cementing and casing. Sedco ultimately merged with three other companies in June 1962 to form Bow Valley Industries. Seaman went on to serve as CEO of Bow Valley (later Bovar, Inc) from 1976 to 1987, and as chairman from 1987 to 1990. Seaman was one of the original six owners of the

, along with his brother Daryl, Harley Hotchkiss,

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, and Ralph Thomas Scurfield. Under his co-ownership, the franchise won their only

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

. They reached two other Stanley Cup Finals in 1986 and

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, losing to the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

in seven games in the latter. Seaman remained a part-owner of the Flames until 2010, one year after his brother Daryl died. Along with his brother and Hotchkiss, Seaman was inducted into the

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, dedicated to the preservation and history of sports within the province. It was created in 1957 by the Alberta Amateur Athletic Union (AAAU). The museum w ...

in 2007. He was also conferred the Governor General's medal.

Personal life

Seaman was married to Evelyn until she died in 2003 from cancer and

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

. Together, they had four children. Seaman died on April 24, 2021, at the age of 97.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seaman, Byron 1923 births 2021 deaths Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductees Businesspeople from Saskatchewan Calgary Flames owners Calgary Sports and Entertainment People from Rouleau, Saskatchewan