![]() The Gulls rallied behind their unique situation in the first half of the inaugural 2015-16 season, recording a 17-12-0-1 record before the facility’s opening.ĪHL teams rely on their practice facility heavier than a league such as the National Hockey League. We pretty well skated on every ice sheet in the city of San Diego that first season but hey they all seemed to work because we had a very successful year.” ![]() We were scrambling to get ice whenever we could but I know the Kroc Center was one of our main locations, the ice rink in Mira Mesa, out in Escondido, we had one practice over at the mall over by La Jolla there. “I believe there was seven different ice facilities in San Diego and we probably practiced at all of them during that time. But once they got into their busy concert season and stuff like that, that’s when the challenge came. “(Pechanga) Arena, which has such a busy schedule, was able to fit us in where we did get more practice time at the Sports Arena than we originally anticipated. “It was different, we were practicing in a lot of different rinks,” said Gulls general manager Bob Ferguson. The club moved around quite a bit during its inaugural season, practicing all around San Diego at Kroc Center, San Diego Ice Arena, Ice-Plex Escondido, and building a bond across the team through the experiences. The situation wasn’t perfect, but the Gulls did their best to find positives in the situation. Stuff like that where yeah, it wasn’t convenient and it was a pain, but it was worth it because it was new and we found ways to make it fun and embrace that we didn’t have the cushy set up that they have now.” “I remember our favorite rink was the Kroc Center because they had a swimming pool right outside and the roof was glass so it was sunny while you were practicing. “It was obviously not convenient, but we were in San Diego and it was sunny outside so we could deal with it and figure it out. “It was pretty funny at times, like where we were doing our workouts at the game rink and there would be no ice so we’d have to pick up our gear and get half dressed,” recalled former Gulls defenseman Jaycob Megna. At times, the opportunity would arise at certain rinks in town to have these needs fulfilled, but on other occasions, the team needed to plan its time around the rinks available to them. The emphasis was on a space for management, coaches and players, and performance/athletic training staff. The ultimate desire included the use of a facility from the early morning until deep into the afternoon, extending to the needs of a home base for the day-to-day operation of the hockey club. The wait posed challenges for the professional hockey organization needing an everyday facility for extended hours. This happens time and again so I think sometimes things are worth the wait.” “How many teams in various leagues play in temporary facilities while another facility gets built? Like the (Los Angeles) Rams and Chargers – the Chargers played in a soccer stadium the last two years while SoFi Stadium was being built. “If you step back and you take a 30,000-foot view, is two years, three years or even four years a long time for physical infrastructure to come together in a way that is not just good enough, but best in class to support some sort of operation? No, not really. “I sometimes think we forget that Rome wasn’t built in a day,” said former Gulls President Ari Segal. While the then-named Valley View Casino Center served as the venue for home games, the team bounced around town, using various public rinks while their future practice facility remained under construction. Related: Part 1: The Return of the Gulls | Part 2: Building The Brand | Part 3: Back on the IceĪs the club began its first season as an American Hockey League (AHL) team in San Diego, the club didn’t have a consistent facility to conduct team practices, workouts, meetings. That was the motto for the San Diego Gulls in their inaugural 2015 season. The series covers the pillar moments as we hear from key members of the organization and community shaping the franchise from day one. The final piece of a four-part series, provides in depth look at how the Gulls returned to San Diego in 2015, how the team’s brand was launched, the inaugural AHL game in San Diego and the creation of the team’s practice facility in Poway. A Look Back: A State of the Art Facility In San Diego Nov 3, 2020
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