Gulls To Take Another Crack at Calgary
Jan 25, 2025By Samantha Mason/SanDiegoGulls.com
The San Diego Gulls have flown the nest and are in Calgary ready for another chance to face off against the Calgary Wranglers (6:00 pm PST; TV: AHLTV on FloHockey; Radio: Gulls Audio Network).
In their last meeting, San Diego and Calgary battled it out at Pechanga Arena in a nail-biter that needed the extra frame. The Wranglers ultimately took the win 6-5 in overtime.
The Gulls have taken the week to prepare for their back-to-back contests in Canada this weekend.
"It’s two competitive teams more than anything," said head coach Matt McIlvane. "There are two groups, we both play a physical style. It’s rough in front of both nets, checks being finished all the time, the tempers are going to run high."
On top of having the week to prepare, San Diego has also seen significant roster changes.
On January 22, the Anaheim Ducks announced they acquired right wing Justin Bailey from San Jose in exchange for right wing Pavol Regenda.
"When I heard [the trade] was San Diego and Anaheim, I was pretty happy," said Bailey. "Of all the places to go, it’s an organization I’ve played against quite a bit last year and the last couple years. I was able to pack my stuff up, get on a plane, and be here for the morning practice."
Bailey, who has spent the first half of the season with the San Jose Barracuda, arrived in San Diego on Thursday, ready to get to work with his new team. This is his 10th season in the American Hockey League, where he has played for six different franchises prior to joining the Gulls.
"I think anytime you go up to Calgary, they’ve been a top team, from the time they were in Stockton, too," said Bailey. "Those are easy games to get out for, especially when you’re going up there into their rink, they’re going to come out strong. I’ve played against this team three or four times now this year, we’ve always played them in one-goal games. It’s not easy playing against a San Diego team. I’ll help this team play physical and fast up there."
San Diego will challenge Calgary for the third straight time tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 pm PST.