The San Diego Gulls, winners of their first two games on the season, host the Ontario Reign at 7 p.m. Friday in their home opener at Pechanga Arena.
Both teams have had their fill of each other this month, starting with a preseason contest Oct. 8, which went to Ontario, and followed by the two Gulls wins, the most recent a penalty-riddled 6-4 victory Sunday.
“I forgot about [the rivalry] coming back to the division a couple hours down the road,” defenseman Trevor Carrick said. “It’s always been pretty intense, but that’s why you play, right? You play for those rival games.”
The Gulls, an affiliate of the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks, play in the American Hockey League. The team is hoping for a major rebound this season, after finishing last in the AHL’s Pacific Division. They won just 20 games last year, a league low.
With the retirement of Gulls coach Roy Sommer, Matt McIlvane took over,
Standouts so far this young season include goalkeeper Alex Stalock. In the Gulls’ Oct. 13 season opener, he allowed one goal, while making 40 saves on 41 shots.
“We’re really fortunate that we have two great goalies. (Stalock) showed real well for us in game one,” McIlvane said.
Four players made their professional debuts for the Gulls Oct. 13: defensemen Tyson Hinds and Olen Zellweger, center Nathan Gaucher and left winger Sasha Pastujov. Zellweger posted his first career AHL multi-assist game.
Three of those players have tasted substantial success – Gaucher, Hinds and Zellweger, as members of Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championships, helped their country take home the gold medal.
Center Ben King also made his AHL bow, but in the Gulls’ second game, scoring his first career professional goal in the second period.
The Gulls spend much of the first month of the season on the road. After another home contest on Oct. 27, they don’t return until Nov. 10, when they begin a four-game home stand.
