Gulls Sign Gates Jr. To Standard Player Contract, Josling To Professional Tryout
Dec 31, 2021The San Diego Gulls announced today that the American Hockey League (AHL) club has signed forward Brent Gates Jr. to a standard player contract (SPC) through the 2021-22 AHL season and right wing Sean Josling to a professional tryout (PTO).
Gates Jr., 24 (8/12/97), earned 7-9=16 points and eight penalty minutes (PIM) in 40 career AHL games with San Diego and the Rochester Americans. The 6-2, 198-pound forward collected 9-19=28 points and eight PIM in 22 games this season with the Indy Fuel of the ECHL, leading the club in points while ranking second in goals and assists. A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Gates Jr. scored 27-42=69 points with 73 PIM in 82 career ECHL games with the Indy Fuel and Tulsa Oilers.
Selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the third round (80th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Gates Jr. posted 42-43=85 points with a +14 rating and 61 PIM in 148 games over four seasons at Minnesota (2015-19).
Josling, 22 (3/22/99), appeared in seven AHL games with the Gulls this season, scoring his first career AHL goal on Dec. 17 against the Bakersfield Condors. Prior to joining San Diego, Josling recorded 3-3=6 points with a +2 rating in four ECHL games with the Wheeling Nailers. In 54 career ECHL games with Wheeling, the 6-0, 179-pound forward has collected 9-25=34 points and 81 penalty minutes (PIM).
A native of Toronto, Ontario, Josling earned 86-103=189 points with a +4 rating and 157 PIM in 250 career Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games with the Sarnia Sting from 2016-2020, tying him for the third most games played in Sting history. In his final junior season in 2019-20, Josling led Sarnia in assists and scoring with 32-46=78 points, while ranking second on the team in goals behind current San Diego Gulls forward Jacob Perreault.