Gulls Open Regular Season Against Barracuda
Oct 3, 2026By Ashley Rubin/SanDiegoGulls.com
The wait is over. Gulls hockey is back!
The San Diego Gulls open the regular season today against the San Jose Barracuda in game one of a back-to-back series at Tech CU Arena (3 p.m. PST; TV: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).
San Diego has had an eventful offseason and preseason. With Dave Manson stepping into the head coach position, Kelly Buchberger and Steve McCarthy being named assistant coaches, and nine players on the roster who will make their debut in a Gulls sweater, things look much different than where they finished last season.
Some notable new players include forward Sean Farrell, who was picked up by Anaheim from Montreal in exchange for Sasha Pastujov. Farrell has played 186 AHL games total, posting 46-76=125 points, 40 PIM, and a +6 rating. Defenseman Jett Woo is another new face, who was signed as a free agent following his stint with the Barracuda last season. Woo started the year with the Abbotsford Canucks before moving to San Jose and finished the season with a total 43 games played, 2-8=10 points, and 92 PIM. The defenseman has plenty of AHL experience, appearing in 310 total games logging 23-70=93 points, 424 PIM, and a +16 rating.
Players who appeared in under 10 games with San Diego last season include Lucas Pettersson, Roger McQueen, Drew Elliott, Herman Traff, and Matt Basgall. Despite making just brief appearances with the Gulls, these players are expected to play a major role this season.
San Diego saw a preview of this new team in game action as they competed in one preseason exhibition game against the Ontario Reign on Sept. 25 where they ultimately fell in overtime, 4-3. Familiar faces Matthew Phillips, Yegor Sidorov, and Ryan Carpenter worked together to find the first goal. Herman Traff, who made his AHL debut late last season, also found the back of the net. Goaltenders Tomas Suchanek and Damian Clara split the ice time, saving 13-of-15 shots each. While the game did not count towards the teams’ record, it gave them a chance to prepare for the real thing today.
The Gulls and Barracuda will get right back at it tomorrow as they close out this season-opening back-to-back series at Tech CU Arena (3 p.m. PST).