The San Diego Gulls open their second American Hockey League season tomorrow night, Oct. 14, at what will likely be a sold-out Valley View Casino Center.
The Gulls, top affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League, were an immediate success last year after the Ducks purchased the former Norfolk Admirals franchise and moved the team west to facilitate player movement between the teams.
Only the AHL’s Hershey Bears outdrew the Gulls last season as the new hometown team averaged 8,675 attendance per game at the Valley View Casino Center and raised eyebrows around the AHL with the enthusiasm and hockey knowledge displayed by fans.
Last year’s team, under returning head coach Dallas Eakins, thrilled San Diego’s faithful with a record of 39 wins, 23 losses, four overtime losses and two shootout losses, good for 84 points in the Pacific Division standings to finish nine points behind the champion and new rival Ontario Reign, top affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings.
In last season’s playoffs, the Gulls eliminated the Texas Stars three games to one in a best-of-five series before the Reign eliminated the Gulls 4-1 in a best-of seven division final series.
Brandon Montour, a fan favorite and the most honored member of the Gulls, returns for another season in San Diego. Montour, just 22, was named to the All-AHL first team and the league’s All-Rookie team last season after the 6-foot, 192-pound defenseman from Ohsweken, Ont. proved highly reliable on the blue line while scoring 12 goals and adding 45 assists for 57 points.
At press time, leading Gulls scorer from last year Nick Ritchie was still in the Ducks training camp battling for a roster spot.
But other familiar names have already been assigned to the team including forwards Stu Bickel, Zac Larraza, Kalle Kossila, Stefan Noesen, Ondrej Kase, Antoine Laganiere, Kyle MacKinnon, Andrew O’Brien and Corey Tropp, who has played in 148 NHL games..
Defensemen returning include Jaycob Megna and Shea Theodore, while late-season college acquisitions re-joining the Gulls include Tyler Morley, Kevin Roy, Brian Cooper and Andy Welinski. Goaltending duties would appear to be shared between last year’s playoff star Matt Hackett and Dustin Tokarski, an NHL veteran acquired by the Ducks last year.
New to the roster this season are four players with 859 combined NHL games of experience. They include defenseman Jeff Schultz (409 games) and Nate Guenin (205) and winger Nick Tarnasky (245). The trio is expected to provide veteran leadership. Last year, the Ducks made numerous improvements to the Valley View Casino Center including a new scoreboard, new boards and new glass to improve the experience for fans. They also made major improvements to team locker rooms.
New to the Pacific Division this season are the Tucson Roadrunners, affiliate of the Arizona Coyotes. They join other Gulls rivals, besides the Reign and Stars, including Bakersfield Condors, San Antonio Rampage, San Jose Barracuda and the Stockton Heat.
The AHL dates to 1936 and now includes 30 teams, each affiliated with an NHL team. For tickets, go to www.sandiegogulls.com or the ticket hotline at 619-359-4730.
