Gulls get into community spirit with skate fund-raiser, Winter Wonderland events

Photo courtersy San Diego Gulls Gulls players Tomas Suchanek (30), Calle Clang (31) and Jaxsen Wiebe (23)get together with a young fan on the ice Tuesday.

The San Diego Gulls Foundation continues to support community endeavors as the community continues to support the American Hockey League franchise.

The Gulls hosted Gulls Night at Rady Children’s Hospital Ice Rink at Liberty Station on Tuesday to raise funds and awareness for the Thriving After Cancer Program at the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Fans were invited to join an evening of skating and holiday fun with Gulls players and coaches. The San Diego Gulls Foundation provided a donation of $35,000 in its fifth year involved with the rink. Since its inception in 2017, the foundation has raised more than $229,000 to support Rady Children’s Hospital.

The Gulls are hosting Hockey Fights Cancer Night on Feb. 24.

TEDDY BEAR TOSS

As evenings start to chill shortly before sundown now, winter is right around the corner and the holiday season is upon us. After all, it’s hockey weather.

The Gulls will host their annual Winter Wonderland on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Pechanga Arena. Included in the event is a pre-game tailgate (4 to 5:30 p.m.) with real snow, live reindeer, food truck vendors and an appearance by Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Highlighting the evening will be the Gulls’ annual Teddy Bear Toss to benefit patients at Rady Children’s Hospital. Fans are encouraged to bring a plastic wrapped plush toy and toss it onto the ice upon the Gulls’ first goal in the game. A Hawaiian shirt giveaway also is on tap.

Game time is 6 p.m. against the Henderson Silver Knights.

HOT ON ICE

The Gulls returned from their five-game road trip through the Midwest (two games in Chicago, one in Milwaukee and two more in Rockford) with a 4-1 record and have now earned standings points in six of their last seven games (5-1-1-0) after snapping a nagging 13-game winless streak (0-10-3).

Goaltender Tomas Suchanek, 20, earned the AHL Player of the Week award after going 3-0-0 on the road trip with a 1.00 goals-against average and 0.961 save percentage in three starts. He became the youngest Gulls netminder to record a shutout following last Friday’s 7-0 whitewashing in Rockford. He is 4-0-1 on the season with a 1.99 GAA and 0.926 save percentage.