On Oct. 14, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition vintage San Diego Gulls bobblehead. The bobblehead is part of the American Hockey League Vintage Bobbleheads collection that the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is releasing in conjunction with the start of the 2022-23 AHL season, which begins today.
The collection includes all 32 AHL teams: the Abbotsford Canucks, Bakersfield Condors, Belleville Senators, Bridgeport Islanders, Calgary Wranglers, Charlotte Checkers, Chicago Wolves, Cleveland Monsters, Coachella Valley Firebirds, Colorado Eagles, Grand Rapids Griffins, Hartford Wolf Pack, Henderson Silver Knights, Hershey Bears, Iowa Wild, Laval Rocket, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Manitoba Moose, Milwaukee Admirals, Ontario Reign, Providence Bruins, Rochester Americans, Rockford IceHogs, San Diego Gulls, San Jose Barracuda, Springfield Thunderbirds, Syracuse Crunch, Texas Stars, Toronto Marlies, Tucson Roadrunners, Utica Comets, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. A bobblehead featuring the AHL colors and logo is also available.
Standing on a circular ice-like base bearing the team’s name, the smiling San Diego Gulls bobblehead is suited up in a black, orange and blue jersey featuring the team logo and holding a hockey stick. Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 500, and they are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in November, are $30 each plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order. A set featuring all 32 bobbleheads is $900.
The Gulls moved to San Diego to join the AHL’s new Pacific Division for the 2015-16 season after their NHL parent club, the Anaheim Ducks, purchased their affiliate and moved it from Norfolk, Va., where it played as the Admirals from its founding in 2000 through 2015.
The Gulls are the sixth professional hockey team to play at Pechanga Arena San Diego after the original San Diego Gulls of the World Hockey League, the San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association, the San Diego Hawks/Mariners of the Pacific Hockey League, the second version of the San Diego Gulls of the International Hockey League and the third version of the San Diego Gulls, who played in the West Coast Hockey League and the ECHL from 1995-2006. The franchise won a Calder Cup title as the Norfolk Admirals in the 2011-12 season, and in 2021-22, the Gulls finished seventh in the Pacific Division and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
“We’re excited to be working with the AHL to release the first collection of vintage bobbleheads featuring every American Hockey League team,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Fresh off a trip to the playoffs, the Gulls are looking to generate some more excitement for the hockey-loving fans in San Diego in the 2022-23 season.”
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, opened to the public on Feb. 1, 2019. The HOF and museum also produces high-quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
