Gulls Back in Action in Bakersfield
Dec 27, 2025
By Nick Aguilera/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls roll into Bakersfield right out of the Christmas break, as they face the Condors tonight at Dignity Health Arena (7 p.m. PST; TV: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).
Despite a weekend split in Calgary before the break, San Diego left with a sour taste in their mouth after posting a franchise-record 53 shots in a 2-1 loss Sunday afternoon. Sam Colangelo was the lone Gull to score in the contest where they more than doubled the Wranglers in shots. With chances clearly on their side, San Diego will now hope the ketchup bottle clog is clear heading into tonight.
"I think it's really important to have that switch where you can just flip it back on right away and get going," defenseman Tristan Luneau said. "I think we can pick up right where we left it before Christmas, and we'd be in a good spot."
The Christmas break usually posts a litmus test for who’s real and who’s not in the standings, but with a tight race for the Pacific Division standings, the Gulls aren’t fazed by their current ranking. Only 10 points separate the top-of-division Colorado Eagles from the eighth-place Gulls, meaning not only playoffs but the division is up for grabs heading into the new year.
The Gulls will be without Nikolas Brouillard this weekend, but for good reason. The Mount-St.-Hilarie, Quebec native was selected to represent Team Canada at the 2025 Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, the oldest club hockey tournament in the world. In his absence, defenseman Konnor Smith has joined the team from the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL.
"We’d like to have him, but it's such a cool experience, and he's such a great guy, and we were happy he gets to experience that," Luneau said. "We're all behind him, and I'm sure he's with us on his side. We just wish him the best of luck."
The Gulls will head right back down I-5 tonight and hit home ice for the second half of their weekend back-to-back tomorrow night, taking on the Abbotsford Canucks at Pechanga Arena (5 p.m. PST).