San Diego Gulls 2019-20 Season In Review
May 18, 2020THE 2019-20 SEASON: The San Diego Gulls completed their fifth season in the AHL’s Pacific Division with a 30-19-6-2 record for 68 points in 57 games, tied for third in the Pacific Division (also Stockton) and sixth among Western Conference teams (.596%). San Diego finished the season with an 18-6-4-1 record (.707%) after Jan. 1, recording points in 23-of-29 games to lead the Pacific Division in wins and points percentage, and rank second in the Western Conference and fourth among AHL clubs in points percentage in that span. The Gulls climbed 19 spots in the league standings (31st to 12th) and nine positions in the Western Conference (15th to sixth) after Nov. 1 (.000 points percentage, 0-6-0-0 record), posting a 30-13-6-2 record (.667%) and gaining points in 38 of the 51 games. The Gulls +37 goal differential after Nov. 1 led the Pacific Division, ranked second in the Western Conference and tied for third among AHL clubs.
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SEASON CANCELED: On May 11, the AHL announced the cancellation of the 2019-20 regular season and 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs due to the COVID-19 outbreak. For the first time since the AHL’s formation in 1936, the league did not award the Calder Cup.
PACING THE PACIFIC: San Diego has posted an all-time record of 184-114-21-10, including 96-54-9-5 at home and 88-60-12-5 on the road, leading the Pacific Division in all-time wins, points (399) and points percentage (.606) since the division’s inception in 2015-16. The Gulls are the only Pacific Division club to finish among the top four teams in all five AHL seasons.
MISSING HOME: The Gulls finished their home schedule riding a four-game win streak and six-game point streak from Jan. 31 - Feb. 22 (5-0-1-0), the club’s longest point streak on home ice in 2019-20. The six consecutive home games with a point was the longest since a club record nine-game streak on home ice from Feb. 3 - Mar. 16, 2018 (8-0-1-0). During the current point streak, the Gulls scored 27 goals, averaging 4.5 goals-per game. San Diego also earned points in nine of its last 10 home games (8-1-1-0), netting 42 goals in that span (4.2 goals per-game) with nine power-play goals (9-for-38, 23.7%).
ON THE ROAD: San Diego went 15-11-3-0 on the road in 2019-20, completing the canceled season with a 4-2-1-0 mark on a club-record long seven-game road trip spanning 15 days from Feb. 26 – Mar. 11. The Gulls had never had a homestand or road trip more than six games, marking the longest stretch in club history. The Gulls earned points in 12 of their last 15 road games, posting a 9-3-3-0 record.
NEW BENCH BOSS: Head Coach Kevin Dineen completed his first season behind the bench of the San Diego Gulls, marking his fourth season as a head coach of the Anaheim Ducks’ primary AHL affiliate (also Portland from 2005-08). Dineen led San Diego to a 30-19-6-2 record and 68 points, tied for third place in the Pacific Division. Named to his current post July 15, 2019, Dineen has compiled a 165-95-19-18 record (.618%) and is the winningest head coach of Anaheim’s primary development affiliates. He leads Anaheim’s primary affiliate head coaches in all-time wins, points (367) and points percentage, and is second in games coached (297).
CAPTAIN CARRICK: Named the third captain in San Diego Gulls history Oct. 18, 2019, Sam Carrick led the Gulls in scoring (23-20=43) and goals for the second straight season. He also led San Diego in plus/minus (+27), shorthanded goals (4), shots (144) and co-led in power-play goals (5). He finished the campaign leading AHL forwards and ranking second among all skaters in plus/minus, and was the only AHL player to record four separate six-game point streaks, including Feb. 19-29 (2-5=7), Jan. 24-Feb. 7 (2-5=7), Nov. 30-Jan. 11 (8-2=10) and Nov. 8-16 (7-2=9). Leading the Gulls from last in the division and into a playoff position prior to the cancelation of the campaign, he recorded 29 points his final 29 games (15-14=29, +18) and 42 points his last 42 contests (23-19=42, +28). Carrick set a career high and tied a Gulls record with a six-game goal streak from Nov. 30-Jan. 11 (8-2=9), also the longest AHL goal streak in 2019-20. His goal streak matched the longest such streak in club history (also Adam Cracknell, Jan. 9-21, 2019; 6-4=10). The fourth-year Gull also scored the first Gulls hat trick on home ice, Nov. 13 vs. San Jose (3-0=3). With 71-85=156 points as a Gull from 2017-20, Carrick paces the Gulls in all-time goals and shorthanded goals (9), ranks second in points and plus/minus (+39), and third in assists and games played (189).
Gulls All-Time Goals
- Sam Carrick: 71
- Corey Tropp: 64
- Kalle Kossila: 51
- Nic Kerdiles, Antoine Laganiere: 37
Gulls All-Time Points
- Corey Tropp: 157
- Sam Carrick: 156
- Kalle Kossila: 151
- Brandon Montour: 89
STOLI THE GOALIE: Goaltender Anthony Stolarz finished the season with a 21-12-6 record with a 2.66 goals-against average (GAA) and .922 save percentage (SV%) in 39 games, setting new career bests in goals-against average and save percentage, and tying a career high in wins. Stolarz led AHL goaltenders in assists (4) and saves (1,211), ranked tied for third in wins, fourth in minutes (2,321), fifth in appearances and sixth in SV%. He went 11-2-3 with a 2.36 GAA and .930 SV% in his final 16 AHL contests, including multiple 40-plus save games. He also won his last five home games, posting a 2.56 GAA and .929 SV%. The first-year Gull won a career high seven straight games from Nov. 1-16 and represented San Diego at the 2020 Pacific Division All-Star Classic. After one season with the Gulls, Stolarz ranks second among club goaltenders in all-time wins and appearances.
YOUTHFUL IMPACT: Max Comtois co-led AHL rookies and paced the Gulls in game-winning goals (5). The forward led Gulls rookies in scoring (9-15=24), goals, assists and plus/minus (+7) in 31 AHL games. San Diego went 15-0-2-0 when he recorded a point during 2019-20. He was named the CCM/AHL Rookie of the Month for February after registering 8-5=13 points in 13 games in the month, including four game-winning goals (GWG). He co-led the AHL with eight February goals, including a Gulls rookie record five-game goal streak from Feb. 15-22 (6-2=8) as he helped San Diego to a 9-2-2-0 record in the month. He was also named the CCM/AHL Player of the Week of Feb. 17, recording five goals (5-2=7) in four games, including three GWG. Comtois also collected 5-6=11 points in 29 NHL games with Anaheim.
Troy Terry recorded 7-9=16 points with a +14 rating in 14 AHL games with the Gulls. He led San Diego in points per game (1.14) and ranked third in plus/minus. Terry also appeared in 47 NHL games with Anaheim, recording 4-11=15 points. He set a single-game AHL career high with 2-2=4 points in the final game of the season, Mar. 11 at Tucson, becoming the eighth player in club history to register four-or-more points.
DEFENSIVE NUMBERS: Defenseman Chris Wideman scored 9-22=31 points in 53 games during his first season as a Gull. He finished the season ranked tied for fifth among AHL defensemen in power-play goals (5) and tied for ninth in goals (9). Wideman led San Diego in assists and power-play points (5-7=12), co-led in PPG, and ranked second in scoring. He also led Gulls defensemen in points, goals, assists, PPG, power-play points and shots (114). Named to the 2020 Pacific Division All-Star Team, Wideman was also named San Diego’s recipient of the IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year award for his outstanding contributions to the San Diego community.
SHORTHANDED SUCCESS: The Gulls set a single-season club record with 17 shorthanded goals (SHG), ranking tied for second among AHL clubs in 2019-20. The Gulls led the AHL with a goal differential of -16 (33 power-play goals against, 17 shorthanded goals) and also led with nine home goals while shorthanded. San Diego completed the season killing 37 of their last 42 penalties (88.1%) and 93-of-107 penalties (86.9%) to finish the canceled campaign seventh among AHL clubs and third in the Western Conference in PK% (84.8).
Sam Carrick set a new Gulls single-season record with his fourth SHG, Mar. 7 at San Jose. Carrick ranked tied for second among AHL leaders in shorthanded goals. Carrick surpassed the three SHG scored this season by teammates Alex Broadhurst, Chase De Leo, Justin Kloos and Kiefer Sherwood, and previously by Jordan Samuels-Thomas (2016-17) and Chris Wagner (2016-17). Carrick (4-1=5), Kloos (3-2=5) and Sherwood (3-2=5) co-led San Diego and ranked tied for third among AHL leaders in shorthanded points, while Simon Benoit, Jani Hakanpaa and Chris Mueller finished tied for third in shorthanded assists (3).
I-5 CONNECTION: Thirteen players appeared in games for both the Anaheim Ducks and San Diego Gulls. Three first round NHL Draft selections by the Anaheim Ducks appeared in a game for San Diego this season, including Isac Lundestrom (23rd overall in 2018), Max Jones (24th overall in 2016) and Jacob Larsson (27th overall in 2015). To date, 35 Anaheim Ducks draft selections have appeared in an AHL game with San Diego in five seasons. Those same 35 players have appeared in 2,378 NHL combined games with the Ducks. Since 2015-16, 59 players have appeared in an NHL game with the Ducks and AHL contest with the Gulls. Players to have appeared in a game with San Diego during their career combined for 485 NHL games with Anaheim in 2019-20, totaling 49-90=139 points.