The San Diego Gulls faced off the home portion of their 2026-27 American Hockey League campaign Saturday with a new laser show that can display moving objects on the ice, flame throwers and indoor fireworks.
The first 7,000 fans through the Pechanga Arena San Diego turnstiles received a free Gulls Hawaiian shirt.
It was a festive atmosphere in front of an announced crowd of 10,019 and the hosts rewarded their faithful with a 2-0 shutout win that featured a power-packed ending.
Roger McQueen, the NHL parent Anaheim Ducks’ first-round draft pick (10th overall) in 2025, scored what proved to be game-winning goal with 2:52 to play and teammate Nico Myatovic tacked on an empty net goal with just 0.8 second remaining.
The sudden impact victory left fans dancing in the aisles.
“I thought the boys played a really solid 60 minutes,” Gulls assistant coach Kelly Buchberger said. “The penalty kill was outstanding,a dn hey, any time you get a shutout, it’s a good win for the team.”
The defensive nature of Saturday’s contest was not surprising after the Gulls came up short by a 6-3 score n Friday’s road game at Coachella Valley.
The Gulls could not take advantage of two early power play opportunities against Henderson. They received a third man-power chance shortly after that. The Gulls got off more shots but the result was the same: 0-for-3.
The opening period ended with the hosts holding a 9-3 shot advantage in a generally show start for both teams. Damian Clara started for San Diego while Carl Lindbom was between the pipes for the Silver Knights, the AHL affiliate of the NHL Vegas Golden Knights.
The second period was also scoreless with the Silver Knights holding an 8-4 advantage in shots. Most of those shots came in the latter half of the period after another slow start. Clara made one good glove save on a Henderson breakaway.
Both teams were silent on the power play – five total, three for the Gulls and two for the Silver Knights.
Which team would break out in the third period or would it go to overtime?
The Gulls were awarded a power play at 7:04 as Jaycob Megna was charged with elbowing.
It was the Gulls’ fourth man-advantage of the night. That was negated at 7:50 when the hosts took a penalty for hooking by Lucas Pettersson.
But the Silver Knights could do little with their short man-up. Seven power plays for the teams and nothing.
Make that eight power plays with nothing to show for it when Stian Solberg was charged for kneeing at 10:24.
The Gulls earned their fifth power play of the game at 12:45. It didn’t matter.
An even strength goal would decide the outcome, plus an empty net goal to ice the 2-0 victory.
McQueen, 20, picked up his third goal in four games and fifth point at 17:08, assisted by Drew Ellioptt and Anton Wahlberg. The assist was the first of the season for Elliott, who appeared in 37 games with 28 points last season for the Gulls’ ECHL affiliate in Tulsa, and the fourth for Wahlberg, a second-round pick (39th overall) in the 2023 draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
The Silver Knights (1-2) pulled their goaltender with 2:35 to play and kept possession for most of the remaining time. The Gulls got two shots at the empty net but only the last one made it in. Clara held firm in the crease, denying Henderson on several good scoring chances.
He earned No. 1 star of the game with a 25-save shutout.
The Silver Knights out-shot the Gulls 25-21, including a 14-8 advantage in the third period when Clara played his best.
There were a total of nine power plays in the game, all stuffed by both goaltenders.
McQueen almost scored on the Gulls’ first rush down the ice at the empty net. Had he scored, he would have had two goals in the game. Instead, Myatovic got it at the 0.80 mark jsut before the final horn. He got hold of the loose puck at center ice and skated it toward the open net before finally depositing in between the pipes for the 2-0 final.
The goal was Mytovic’s second of the season. Captain Ryan Carpenter got credit for the assist, his second helper in the early campaign.
McQueen earned second star honors; Elliott was the third star.
The Gulls improved to 2-1-1 through four games. Henderson fell to 1-2. Entering Wednesday’s home game against the arch rival Ontario Reign, the Gulls stood just one standings point off the lead in the Pacific Division.
“It was a lot of fun,” Clara said. “Great atmosphere, especially when we scored, the arena was very loud. It’s only my second game here, so I hope there’s many more games that have (large and loud) attendance.”
The McQueen-Wahlberg-Elliott line received a lot of ice time. The game-winner was a career first for McQueen.
“Obviously, it gives us a lot of confidence that they trust in us,” McQueen said. “Being in an even score game there for a while it’s nice to have your coaches want you on the ice to try to get a goal for the guys, and also know you’re not going to let one up.
“One hundred percent of those games are hard to play. Obviously trying to get both ways — a goal and not letting one up, so just having a gauge on when to go and when not to go. They’re fun to play in, and those are the games you want to be on the ice.”
Clara said a defensive game is not easy in which to play.
“I think (Carl) Lindbom (19 saves on 20 shots) played a great, great game over there on the other side,” the San Diego netminder said. “You got to just hope for the bounce. It’s a game of hockey, it’s a game of chess sometimes, so you got to hope the bounce goes with you. And today, we had the luck on our side in that thing, but the team worked for luck, so it’s not given in turn.”
After scoring three goals in four games, McQueen was called up to the Ducks on Tuesday.
