Hockey fans will have a chance to celebrate the coolest game on Earth as part of Hockey Weekend in San Diego when the San Diego Gulls face off their 10th American Hockey League season in America’s Finest City on Friday and the San Diego State University men’s team returns from an extended road swing against Western Collegiate Hockey League opponents Friday and Saturday.
The Gulls faced off 2024-25 AHL play last weekend with a two-games series in Toronto, Canada, dropping both games to the host Marlies by scores of 4-3 and 4-1.
The San Diego flock scored the opening goal in both games. Nikita Nesterenko, who led all Gulls rookies with 16 goals last season, put the visitors up 1-0 on the only goal in the first period of the season opening game. The Marlies counted with three unanswered goals to lead 3-1 through two periods.
Carson Meyer and Jansen Harkins subsequently scored their first goals in a San Diego uniform to tie the game, 3-3, before Toronto’s Nick Abruzzese netted the game-winner at 18:11 of the third period.
Noah Warren, Sam Colangelo, Roland McKeown, Ryan Carpenter and Pavol Regenda each recorded assists. Oskar Dansk stopped 26 of 30 shots as the Marlies out-shot the Gulls 30-21.
The assist was the first point of Warren’s professional career.
Tyson Hinds scored the opening goal in Sunday’s matinee rematch and it proved to be the only goal the Gulls would get despite out-shooting the hosts 38-27.
Colangelo and Harkins both netted helpers for their second points of the young season. Calle Clang stopped 23 of 26 shots in his first start of the season.
The Gulls will host the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Friday’s home opener at Pechanga Arena San Diego (7 p.m. face-off). The Firebirds have advanced to the Calder Cup Finals in each of the past two seasons, recording runner-up finishes to the Hershey Bears.
“I just love how resilient we were,” Meyer said in reference to the Gulls’ comeback in the season opener. “I think that’s going to be something that’s crucial to learn this season and it’s good to know that we have it in us to come back no matter what the score is. Now, the key is just not letting the score get to that going into the third period and obviously closing it out when we get a chance and tie it up. But, resilient group, I thought every line played well. It’s just unfortunate to not get at least a point out of that one.”
San Diego head coach Matt McIlvane offered his synopsis of the season opener:
“I guess for me, the summary of the game, I really liked our start,” the Gulls bench boss said. We know Toronto is a high-octane, high-power offense, and I think we limited them to single digit shots, maybe four or so in the first period. It’s a great place to begin the game.
“In the second, we end up giving two goals out of the box that really changed some momentum in the game. And then they get a power play goal. So that’s what kind of puts us down. And then the third period, the will to fight back was great. The ability to finish wasn’t there.
“Theme of the game is, for me, we played hard enough to win. Showed a lot of character, but simply, we just gave up too many big chances. It’s a great opportunity for us to take a look at those. How do you eliminate that? You gave up less big chances.”
McIlvane said contributions came from throughout the line-up, noting Meyer and Harkins’ goals were much appreciated.
“It’s huge,” McIlvane said. “We’ll take it from everywhere. But that’s part of their job. They’re here to perform and lead and be the example that we need. We’ll take it everywhere we can get it.”
Assistant coach Kris Sparre thought the second game was the better overall team game for the Gulls despite the three-goal loss.
“We generated a little bit more offense, although it didn’t show up on the score sheet,” he said. “Both games, liked our pushback right down to the final minutes … It’s an even game all the way through, and we got to find ways to score some more goals.”
Gulls players and staff said they are already excited about Friday’s home opener.
“We come up empty-handed after two games, two close calls, and can tell you that Friday, we’ll be ready to go, and we’ll be looking to get our first two points,” Sparre said.
“It’s going to be fun, but we’re going to be ready,” Hinds added. “Have a better PK and be more disciplined. Bad penalties turned out to cost us a lot (on Sunday). But we saw some good things and hopefully, we keep pounding and hopefully we’ll get a couple goals and some good bounces for us next game.”
Coachella Valley faced off its 2024-25 season with a 3-1 loss to the visiting Calgary Wranglers in front of 6,764 fans at Acrisure Arena. The Firebirds out-shot the Wranglers 40-27 but couldn’t solve Rory Kerins’ hat trick or goaltender Devin Cooley’s 39 saves.
Max Lajoie opened scoring for host Coachella Valley at 3:40 of the opening period but Kerins netted twice in the remainder of the period and added a goal 54 seconds into the third period to complete scoring in the game.
Cooley is a native of Los Gatos.
Mr. San Diego Hockey turns 89
On Wednesday, Oct. 16, at Pechanga Arena San Diego, Gulls players and coaches celebrated Hockey Hall of Famer Willie O’Ree’s 89th birthday a day after he reached yet another milestone in his long and eventful life.
O’Ree, who was born on Oct. 15, 1935, became the first black hockey player to play in the NHL when he broke the black color barrier with the Boston Bruins on Jan. 18, 1958.
A longtime La Mesa resident, O’Ree subsequently played for the Gulls in the Western Hockey League from 1967-1974 and an additional season with the San Diego Hawks in the Pacific Hockey League in 1978-79 before finally hanging up his skates as a professional.
The Gulls sang happy birthday and gifted O’Ree a fedora, a signature look of the hockey pioneer. A small reception followed the locker room visit that was attended by O’Ree’s friends and family as well as representatives of the NHL.
A short happy birthday video of current and former NHL players was played for O’Ree, who plans to be in attendance for Friday’s Gulls home opener.
O’Ree said he was “so overwhelmed” by the surprise party. Originally, he had gone to Pachanga Arena to watch the Gulls’ morning practice.
O’Ree was the celebrated guest in the locker room, telling hockey stories to all those who would listen. Applause broke out several times.
O’Ree was presented with a replica recognition plaque that will be placed in Pechanga Arena honoring him as the NHL’s first Black player and his time with the WHL Gulls.
O’Ree played 45 games for the Bruins over two seasons (1957-58 and 1960-61), collecting 14 NHL points (four goals, 10 assists) despite being legally blind in one eye from a hockey injury sustained while playing junior hockey.
Prior to playing for the original Gulls, he started his long WHL career with the Los Angeles Blades. In 785 games for the two Southern California teams, he logged 639 points (328 goals, 311 assists).
He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builders category in 2018 and remains active in the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone initiative that has introduced the sport to more than 130,000 youths though 39 grassroots hockey programs he helped establish.
Photos courtesy San Diego Gulls:
Red and Black
The Aztecs (2-6 overall) are still looking for their first WCHL win after dropping their third two-game series to fall to 0-6 in league play. SDSU faced off WCHL play with 9-3 and 5-2 setbacks to the University of Arizona on Sept. 26-27, then fell by scores of 15-0 and 4-0 at the University of Utah on Oct. 4-5 before absorbing 8-3 and 11-0 losses to Grand Canyon University last weekend.
The Aztecs hope to get back in the win column with non-conference games against Western Michigan University (0-8) at the Kroc Center Ice Arena.
GCU opened up a 2-1 lead through the opening game in the series opener and extended that t o 6-1 through two periods. The Antelopes out-shot the Aztecs 50-18 (16-5 in the first period and 20-5 in the second period).
SDSU goals came from Gavin O’Bryan, Brandon Grant and Zach Stroozas while assists went to Patrick Morris (two), Marcus Kim and Luke Desmarais. Goaltender Liam Dee made 30 saves on 36 shots; Brody Hsiao and came back with 59 saves on 70 shots in Saturday’s game.
Jacob Cummings, Tyler Misalek and Richard Nelson each scored two goals in series opener for GCU. Cummings had four points by tacking on two assists. Hunter Schmitz and Jack Riley each scored twice for the Lopes in the rematch while Adler Hoagland posted a 14-save shutout.
Saturday’s game was decided early as the hosts piled up a 24-4 advantage in shots in the first period with a 4-0 lead. The Aztecs were out-shot 27-2 in the third period with five goals raining down on the SDSU net.
It was the first time since GCU joined the Division I ranks that the Arizona school had opened the season 2-0 in WCHL play.
SDSU season leaders include Cameron Ferraz (four goals, three assists for seven points), Kim (five assists for five points) and Mason Brown (two goals, two assists for four points). Grant (three goals), Stroozas (two goals, one assist), Morris one goal, two assists) and O’Bryan (one goal, two assists) each have three points.
