Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Options Author
The San Diego Gulls proceed to work to get this proper.
The mother or father Anaheim Geese’ ongoing rebuilding effort has additionally introduced appreciable transformation this summer time to the Gulls, who will start their tenth AHL season on Oct. 12 at Toronto. That overhaul began Might 13 when the Geese put in long-time government and scout Rick Paterson in San Diego’s general-manager emptiness.
After going 26-35-10-1 final season, a Twenty eighth-place end within the AHL, little was off the desk by way of potential modifications. The Gulls additionally want some stability, although, and that begins behind the bench the place Matt McIlvane will turn out to be the primary individual since 2020 to start a second season as San Diego’s head coach.
With seven of the crew’s first eight video games on the street – together with journeys to Toronto, Abbotsford and Calgary – a a lot stronger begin than final season is crucial. The Gulls misplaced 13 straight video games from Oct. 20 to Nov. 24 and have been left preventing for his or her season barely six weeks after it had began.
To that finish, Paterson and the Geese took a special strategy to constructing out the San Diego roster. They introduced in a trio of veterans on AHL contracts, that means they are often counted on to be within the Gulls lineup and never topic to remembers to Anaheim. For a crew that had 96 participant transactions final season, any additional little bit of roster stability is most welcome. They went out and bought a hard-nosed, skilled defenseman, bringing in Belleville captain Dillon Heatherington. For additional blueline assist, they added Milwaukee’s Roland McKeown. And for scoring punch, in comes Ryan Carpenter, a veteran of 392 NHL video games. Heatherington and McKeown are former Calder Cup champions; Carpenter was an AHL All-Star.
All three gamers are in coaching camp with the Geese.
“There’s lots of younger expertise right here,” Carpenter advised sandiegogulls.com, “whether or not it’s with Anaheim or guys looking for a approach up. That was me nonetheless a few years in the past. I believe as an older man, you’re anticipated to indicate the way in which and set an instance and be there for guys of their journey.”
Heatherington and McKeown have their names on the Calder Cup. Carpenter made a run to the Stanley Cup Last with Vegas in 2018. They know what it takes.
“I stay up for attempting to show that round and be part of the answer,” McKeown advised the crew web site. “We need to be winners, and it begins with camp right here. It’s essential to win. Individuals need winners on this league.”
On the American Hockey League beat for 20 years, TheAHL.com options author Patrick Williams additionally at the moment covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is an everyday contributor on SiriusXM NHL Community Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his excellent protection of the league in 2016.
