The San Diego Gulls face off their 2026-27 home schedule Saturday at 6 p.m. with a game against the Pacific Division rival Henderson (Nev.) Silver Knights.
It’s the first of 36 home games for the NHL Anaheim Ducks’ top developmental affiliate in the American Hockey League. There appears to be a lot of potential based on last weekend’s season-opening two-game series in San Jose. The Gulls defeated the host Barracuda, 5-1, in Saturday’s opener and came up just shy with a 5-4 overtime setback on Sunday.
After being swept out of last season’s Calder Cup playoffs by the Colorado Eagles, the Gulls faced off the new season — under a new coaching staff — by capturing three out of four possible standings points.
“Overall good weekend to build off of,” new San Diego head coach Dave Manson said.
The Gulls received points from 12 players — an impressive number — in the two games.
Heading into Friday’s road game in Coachella Valley, third-year defenseman Stian Solberg keyed the team with four points on two goals an two assists, followed by new acquisition Anton Wahlberg with three points (one goal, two assists).
Eight players followed each with two points: center Roger McQueen (two goals), right wing Matthew Phillips (one goal, one assist), left wing James Hamblin (one goal, one assist), center Nathan Gaucher (one goal, one assist), left wing Nico Maytovic (one goal, one assist), defensemen Jett Woo (two assists) and Roman Kinal (two assists), center Sean Farrell (two assists, and centers Ryan Carpenter and Ethan Procyszyn each with one assist.
Solberg, 20, a first-round pick (23rd overall) by the NHL parent Anaheim Ducks in the 2024 entry draft, led the Gulls with three points (one goal, two assists) in the season opener. He closed out the victory with an empty-net goal.
Wahlberg, 21, a second-round pick (39th overall) in the 2023 draft by the Buffalo Sabres, joined San Diego after an offseason trade by the Ducks for defenseman Olen Zellweger, who appeared in 44 games for the Gulls in 2023-24 with 12 goals and 37 points.
McQueen, 20, was drafted by Anaheim in the first-found (No. 10 overall) in the 2025 draft.
Solberg, Wahlberg and McQueen are among 10 Gulls under the age of 23 on the roster. Solberg and McQueen are among nine Ducks picks on the team who were taken in the opening three rounds of the NHL draft.
“It’s always nice when you can spread the scoring out,” Manson noted. “There’s not a hockey player in the world that doesn’t like to score, so it’s good to see guys, different guys, get on the sheet, and that helps their confidence.”
The Gulls won behind goaltender Laurent Brossoit, a Stanley Cup champion with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023, who stopped 29 of 30 shots in Game 1 in his San Diego debut.
Damian Clara, who represented Italy in the 2026 Winter Olympics, got the start in Game 2 with 28 saves on 33 shots.
The Gulls scored two power play goals in Game 1 and led 4-2 midway through Game 2.
