Gulls Open 2021-22 Season Tonight Against Reign In Ontario

Oct 16, 2021

By AJ Manderichio/SanDiegoGulls.com

Gulls hockey is back.

San Diego opens its 2021-22 season tonight in Ontario, facing the rival Reign at Toyota Arena (6 p.m. PT; TV: AHL TV; RADIO: Gulls Audio Network). San Diego is 4-2 all-time in season openers, including the first-ever Gulls AHL contest Oct. 10, 2015, vs. Grand Rapids (4-2 win). The Gulls also posted wins Oct. 14, 2016 vs. Tucson (5-3 win), Oct. 7, 2017 at Tucson (7-6 win) and Feb. 5, 2021 vs. Bakersfield (4-1 win).

“Against Ontario it's always good games,” Gulls defenseman Simon Benoit said. “We're so close and throughout the years, we had good, physical games and a battle every night. Throughout the year, we build some rivalries. Stuff happens. I think it's just a question of grit and passion on the ice.”

San Diego and Ontario open a 12-game regular-season series tonight. In 2020-21, the Gulls posted a 7-3-0-0 record against the Reign, winning the season series for the third time in the last four seasons. San Diego is 40-22-3-2 all-time against Ontario in the regular season, including 21-10-0-2 on the road. The Gulls earned points in 13 of its last 17 games against Ontario (11-4-2-0). 

San Diego’s season-opening roster features 25 players, including 14 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders. It consists of seven Anaheim draft selections, including Jack Badini (91st overall in 2017), Lukas Dostal (85th overall in 2018), Hunter Drew (178th overall in 2018), Olle Eriksson Ek (153rd overall in 2017), Jacob Larsson (27th overall in 2015), Jacob Perreault (27th overall in 2020), and Brayden Tracey (29th overall in 2019).

It's expected Eriksson Ek will start for San Diego. The Swedish netminder went 8-6-1 with a 3.14 GAA and .901 SV% in 15 games with the Gulls last season. Highlights from last season include stopping 39-of-41 shots for his first career AHL win in his first game to become the second youngest goaltender to win a game for San Diego (21 years, 263 days), behind Lukas Dostal (20 years, 233 days), on Mar. 6 vs. San Jose. He also became the first Gulls rookie netminder to earn an assist, marking the 11th goaltender assist in team history, May 14 at Colorado.

Against the Reign, Eriksson Ek is 1-2-0 . He faced them in the first game of the two-game exhibition slate between the Ontario and San Diego, stopping 26-of-28 shots in a 4-2 win.

Sam Carrick returns to captain the Gulls for a third consecutive season. In 27 games with San Diego last season, the Markham, ONT native recorded 14-10=24 points with a +5 rating and 19 PIM. He reached several milestones, including his 300th AHL point (Mar. 24 at Ontario) and his 200th AHL game (Feb. 27 at Henderson), becoming the third player in Gulls history to reach that milestone.

Carrick enters the 2021-22 season as the organizations’ all-time leading point scorer (85-95=180).

Vinni Lettieri will the Gulls for his second season in San Diego. The Excelsior, MN native recorded 14-12=26 points in 22 games last season and ranked sixth in the AHL in points per game (1.18, min. 15 games played). He also finished the regular season tied for eighth in goals (14). 

Lettieri led all skaters in preseason scoring, recording 2-2=4 in the home-and-home set with Ontario.

Six players will make their Gulls debut tonight – forwards Alekander Volkov, Morgan Adams-Moisan, Vincent Marleau, Danny O’Regan and Buddy Robinson and defensemen Brogan Rafferty. Goaltender Francis Marotte will back up Eriksson Ek, which doesn’t register as an official appearance.

The roster is filled to the brim with talent and potential, but San Diego head coach Joel Bouchard knows the names doesn’t mean success will come easy.

“The roster is just a paper for me,” he explained. “Paper means nothing. It's all about what happens on the ice. You can have the best roster on paper, but if the guys don't push together, are not on the same page, it means absolutely nothing. We do have good players, players we like, which is fun. Players that are knocking on the front door of the NHL. Some of them have played good minutes and played really good in the AHL, which is good news. That being said, there's one place you value and it's on the ice. Let's see how we do over the next few weeks.”

Ontario is once again led by captain Brett Sutter, who returns to captain the Reign for a fifth consecutive season. The Los Angeles Kings-backed organization has a roster filled with recognizable prospects, including first-rounders Alex Turcotte (drafted by Los Angeles in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft) and Rasmus Kupari (drafted by Los Angeles in the first round (20th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft). 

Goaltender Garret Sparks joins established Ontario netminders Matthew Villalta and Jacob Ingham. The former seventh-round selection of the Toronto Maple Leafs is 93-52-9 with a 2.28 GAA and .923 SV% in eight AHL seasons with Toronto Marlies, Chicago Wolves and Stockton Heat.

San Diego will open its home schedule on Friday, October 22 against the Stockton Heat.