The San Diego Gulls took a long plane ride from San Diego to Toronto, where they’ll open the American Hockey League season with a pair of games against the host Marlies this weekend.
Fortunately, these seabirds are familiar with flying.
Seven of San Diego’s first eight games will be played on the road, in Toronto, Bakersfield, Abbotsford and Calgary. The only home contest during that time will be an Oct. 18 home opener against Coachella Valley at Pechanga Arena.
You won’t hear any complaints from Gulls players as the season starts. A long road trip followed by a full week of practice will give the club time to create some chemistry.
“I think it’s great,” first-year forward Carson Meyer said. “I feel like you bond so much on road trips like this one, especially with the long flight and spending a few days together. It’s great to start the season that way, to spend a lot of time together and cut the ice and build chemistry for a long season.”
Meyer is part of a revamped Gulls roster that includes a mix of returning players and several veterans who were signed after stops with other organizations.
Meyer comes to San Diego after four seasons in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization. Defenseman Dillon Heatherington and Roland McKeown have their names on the Calder Cup, awarded annually to the AHL champion. Center Ryan Carpenter was a member of the Las Vegas Knights when the team made a run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2018.
The Gulls played one preseason game, a 5-4 home loss to Ontario on Oct. 5. Second-year coach Matt McIlvane liked what he saw in the third period, when his team erased a three-goal deficit.
“Character,” McIlvane said. “I think we showed a lot of character. As far as being able to play with an identity and being difficult to play against. I thought there were a lot of really good moments. There were so many great teachable moments as well for our first-year players. Some fixable errors, some easy fixes. Plenty to build on moving into the (regular season).”
Carpenter, Heatherington and McKeown all wore a captain’s “A” on their jerseys for the preseason game against Ontario and will be counted on to provide playmaking and leadership throughout the season.
Specifically, the Gulls will be shooting for a much better start. The team lost 13 consecutive games between Oct. 20 and Nov. 24 last season and spent the remainder of the campaign trying to dig their way out of the hole.
The Gulls finished 26-35-10-1, good for ninth in the 10-team AHL Pacific Division. Their 32 points ranked 28th in the 32-team AHL; they had a minus-40 goal differential. ‘
San Diego is counting on this year’s veterans to help with an ongoing organizational rebuild. The Gulls and their NHL parent club, the Anaheim Ducks, have struggled for three straight seasons.
“They have two jobs while they’re here: One, perform and help us win hockey games and two, be the example and leaders so our guys have someone to look up to,” McIlvane said. “It’s not just them: we’ve got other guys in that supporting cast as well but yeah, we will count on them to show the way.”
The Gulls haven’t qualified for the Calder Cup playoffs since 2022.
“I look forward to trying to turn that around and be part of the solution,” McKeown said. “We want to be winners, and it starts in camp here. It’s important to win. People want winners in this league.”
Protective neck gear mandated
Fans may notice AHL players wearing cut-resistant material covering around their necks this season. The AHL mandated the base-layer protection for all players and officials, and it’s possible that the NHL will follow suit.
Increased protection at all levels of the sport became a hot topic following last year’s death in England of Adam Johnson, who died when he was cut on the neck with a skate-blade.
The AHL has previously tested out other equipment items and rule changes such as cut-proof socks and 3-on-3 overtime periods before those changes were adopted by the NHL.
2024 -25 season opener
Who: Gulls at Marlies
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Coca-Cola Coliseum, Toronto
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