Preview: Gulls Ready To Open The 2023-24 AHL Season Against Reign
Oct 13, 2023By Nick Aguilera/SanDiegoGulls.com
After a summer full of changes, the San Diego Gulls are ready for the first puck drop of the 2023-24 American Hockey League season.
The team gets started with a matchup against the Ontario Reign at Toyota Arena today at 7 p.m. PT (TV: FOX 5 San Diego; Radio: Gulls Audio Network). The season opener also marks the first of a six-game schedule of televised airing locally on FOX 5 San Diego and KUSI-TV.
The Gulls fell 6-2 against the Reign in their only preseason tune-up of the season on Sunday, Oct. 8, but despite the loss, head coach Matt McIlvane and company were able to get a good look at what Ontario has to offer.
"Our primary focus is certainly on us, but I think you’re making a mistake if you don’t have a plan for what the opponent is doing," McIlvane said. "We learned a bit about Ontario in the last game. That brought itself into practice this week and certainly our meetings."
Tonight’s roster consists of seven players who could make their AHL debut, including defenseman Tyson Hinds. The Gatineau, Quebec native’s excitement for his first professional game is clear, but nothing he can’t handle.
"[I’m] really excited," Hinds said. "I can’t wait. The warmup and the first few steps on the ice are going to be big. I’m ready for it."
Hinds is surrounded on the blueline by players with both AHL and NHL experience, including Trevor Carrick, Robert Hagg and Colton White. He’s been leaning on the more experienced defenders to help him get up to speed for tonight’s contest.
"A lot of the new tricks and new drills I didn’t practice before, a lot [that’s] new to me, but it’s fun and their leadership and everything is really good for us young guys," Hinds said.
With a ton of young talent entering the lineup – 14 of San Diego’s 25 players are aged 23 or younger – McIlvane will have to find a way to help calm their nerves and gain chemistry quickly.
"Learning how to perform under pressure is a real skill set," the Gulls’ head coach said. “There’s no better place to start than in Game 1.
"We’re building [our chemistry]. That’s the phase that we’re in at this point in the season. Some guys maybe haven’t had conversations as of a couple weeks ago. Having the opportunity to accelerate that process was something we were really trying to do this week."
McIlvane will rely on his veterans to set the tone early in the season. That includes center Andrew Agozzino, who played 31 games with the Gulls in 2020-21, scoring 13-14=27 points. Aggozino leads active Gulls skaters in career points, goals and assists against the Reign with 10-14=24 in 28 games. Knowing what the rivalry against Ontario is all about, Agozzino is ready to get it started early.
"The first game is always a different feel than most," Agozzino said. "You’re still getting to know your teammates and getting to know your systems and everything. It’s one of those times where you just forget about everything and go out there and just play.
"It’s not just one, but three games [against Ontario]. It’s an important set for us. Especially with the way divisional playoffs work, I think anytime you play division games, you really can’t overlook the fact of how important they can be down the stretch."