Gulls Kick Off Training Camp in Preparation for 2026-27 Season
Sep 23, 2026By Ashley Rubin/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls Training Camp began Tuesday, Sep. 22 at Poway Ice marking the start of a new season with a new roster, new coaching, and new goals.
The 2026-27 training camp roster features both fresh talent and leadership. Players will spend the week competing for roster spots as some look to even make their AHL debuts. Coaching staff welcomes new additions Kelly Buchberger and Steve McCarthy while also welcoming back a familiar face as Dave Manson makes his debut as head coach.
While he has years of coaching experience, day one of camp marked the start of Manson’s head coaching career. Manson worked as an assistant coach for San Diego last season and was promoted to the leading position following former head coach Matt McIlvane’s departure from the organization. The Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native has had a long career as both a teammate and leader and is utilizing those experiences to prepare the new Gulls roster for the season ahead.
"It's something different for me," Manson said. "I was usually the coach that was out there working with the kids earlier, and I found a lot of joy in that. But today was a good day. Guys worked hard, and we established something right off the bat, and I look forward to building on it now."
Despite a lot of changing aspects to the roster, there are some familiar faces returning to the ice this season including Ryan Carpenter, who will serve his third season as captain. With a team full of younger players who are new to the AHL, returning veterans play an important role in helping their development.
"That's huge, Carpenter and [Matthew] Phillips out there," Manson said. "They set the standard and they've done a lot of the drills. They know how to work. They're solid people, so they're going to help the young kids. It’s just a huge advantage for us to have them shepherding the group."
Alongside Carpenter and Phillips, returning players present at camp include Travis Howe, Drew Elliott, Roman Kinal, and Tomas Suchanek. Training camp allows these players to build a foundation with the new group while also working on individual skills. Chemistry for the season starts here and continues to develop throughout the year.
"You're building your foundation for the season, and everyone's trying to earn spots," Carpenter said. "It's a new coaching staff, and maybe we don't have all the guys that will be here at the start of the year, but every day you're trying out for different roles and ice time and power play time and certain spots in the lineup. You prepare all summer, you train hard all summer, and we've been on the ice here now for a while but you're trying to build that foundation and we're buying into how he [Manson] wants us to play."
San Diego is coming off an early playoff exit after breaking through to the postseason for the first time since 2021-22 last year. The team fell in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs, dropping two games to the Colorado Eagles. That early exit has an impact on the motivation going into this season for both returning and new faces.
"We don't have as many of the guys here yet that were part of that team," Carpenter said. "I know the guys that were there last year, not that you celebrated too hard, but you just can't be content getting in. That needs to be the standard. I think we were disappointed going to Colorado, however many months ago, and not really putting up much of a fight. So, the guys that are here, we learn from it and hopefully grow from it. It's a brand-new year, and so we're looking forward to having a good start."
Making playoffs has been a continuous goal for this team but now more than ever there is an emphasis on going far. Last year’s playoff appearance gave the team an insight on what it takes to make the postseason and what it takes to stay in the postseason. The journey to that goal starts right now.
The team will conclude training camp on Friday, Sep. 25 with a preseason game against the Ontario Reign at Toyota Arena. They will then officially begin their season with a back-to-back set of games against the San Jose Barracuda at Tech CU Arena, starting Saturday, Oct. 3.