Rick Paterson completed his 20th season with the Ducks last season, his second as Director of Professional Scouting. He served as the Director of Player Personnel from 2009-20, and was also the Director of Professional Scouting for two other stints with Anaheim (2005-09 and 2020-21). Paterson has over 40 years of experience as a player, coach and scout, and has won the Stanley Cup four times. Along with his Stanley Cup championship with the Ducks in 2007, he won titles with Tampa Bay (2004) and Pittsburgh (1991 and 1992).

Prior to joining the Ducks front office, Paterson spent seven years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, winning the Stanley Cup in 2004 as the club’s Chief Professional Scout. After retiring from the NHL as a player following 10 seasons with Chicago (1978-88), Paterson joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as an Assistant Coach from 1988-93, winning the Stanley Cup in 1991 and 1992. He coached the Penguins’ International Hockey League affiliate in Cleveland from 1993-97 and joined the Tampa Bay Lightning as Assistant Coach in 1997-98. Paterson remained in that role until being named a Professional Scout prior to the start of the 1999-00 season.

Bob Ferguson enters his 16th season with the Anaheim Ducks organization and eighth in the  

San Diego Gulls Hockey Operations department. Ferguson is a hockey lifer, having been involved in either professional or amateur hockey for the past 43 years, either as a player, coach or member of a front office.  

In his seven seasons with the Gulls, Ferguson helped build teams that have a combined 238-164-26-15 record to lead the Pacific Division in all-time wins, points (515) and points percentage (.584%, min. three seasons) since the division’s inception in 2015. The Gulls are the only Pacific Division club to finish among the top four teams in five of the division’s seven AHL seasons. Ferguson has also led San Diego to four Calder Cup Playoffs appearances, including the club’s first appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 2019.  

The Gulls (three times), Toronto Marlies (four times), Charlotte Checkers (three times), Chicago Wolves (three times) and Hershey Bears (three times) are the only AHL teams to advance to the Division Finals on three-or-more occasions since the inception of the current division format in 2015. Under Ferguson, San Diego owns the most playoff wins (18) and is tied for the most series wins (4) among Pacific Division teams. 

Under Ferguson, San Diego completed the 2021-22 season with a 28-33-4-3 record for 63 points and finished seventh in the Pacific Division, earning the club’s fourth Calder Cup Playoffs berth. In 2020-21, San Diego finished with a 26-17-1-0 record for 53 points and finished third in the Pacific Division based on points percentage (.602%), earning a spot in the Pacific Division Playoffs. In 2019-20, the Gulls posted a 30-19-6-2 record for 68 points and tied for third in the Pacific Division, sixth in the Western Conference, before the COVID-19 pandemic ended the season in March. The 2018-19 club compiled a 36-24-5-3 record for 80 points and third in the Pacific Division, while also representing the division in the Western Conference Finals for the first time. San Diego defeated San Jose (four games) and Bakersfield (six games), before falling to Chicago in six games. 

The 2016-17 club went 43-20-3-2 for 91 points, second in the Western Conference and third in the AHL, while defeating Ontario in the first round of the postseason before falling in the Pacific Division Finals to San Jose (five games). The Gulls were named winners of the 2016-17 President’s Award as the AHL Team of the Year, given to an AHL organization for overall excellence as voted on by AHL team presidents. In the club’s inaugural season in 2015-16, the team finished with a 39-23-4-2 record for 84 points, earning second place in the Pacific Division and the club’s first berth in the Calder Cup Playoffs. Under Ferguson’s guidance, San Diego won its first-ever playoff series over the Texas Stars, 3-1, prior to falling to Ontario in the second round (five games).  

Ferguson was the Assistant General Manager of the Norfolk Admirals for the previous three seasons (2012-2015) and prior to that manned the same position for the Ducks’ prior AHL affiliates, the Syracuse Crunch (2010-12) and Iowa Chops (2008-09). He also spent one season as a college/amateur scout for the Ducks in 2009-10.  

Before joining the Ducks organization, Ferguson spent 26 seasons on the bench as a head coach in the professional and junior ranks. He had head coaching stints with Augusta (ECHL, 2005-08), Florida (ECHL, 1998-2001) and Indianapolis (IHL, 1995-98). In his nine seasons as a professional head coach, Ferguson’s teams never missed the playoffs. He is a two-time John Brophy Award winner as ECHL Coach of the Year, winning the honor in consecutive seasons with the Florida Everblades in 1998-99 and 1999-2000. 

A native of Kingston, Ontario, Ferguson’s illustrious 17-year career as a head coach in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with Sioux City (1981-90) and Des Moines (1990-95, 2001-04) garnered 517 career wins, the third-most in league history. Ferguson guided Sioux City to a pair of Clark Cup championships and won three Clark Cups with Des Moines. He is a three-time Gold Cup winner (U.S. Junior ‘A’ National Champion), five-time USHL Coach of the Year and five-time USHL General Manager of the Year. 

Bob and his wife, Lisa, have two children: Brett and Kaylee. Brett and his wife, Amanda, have the family’s three grandchildren: Caleb, Aidan and Reid. The family resides in San Diego.  

Jillian Reddin, daughter of Susan and Henry Samueli, enters her 15th season with the Anaheim Ducks organization, her eighth with the San Diego Gulls. Primarily responsible for player contracts, transactions, immigration, travel and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Reddin regularly coordinates with the Anaheim Ducks Hockey Operations department. She is also an Alternate Governor for the AHL Board of Governors. 
 
Reddin previously spent three seasons in the same role with the Norfolk Admirals (2012-14) and two with the Syracuse Crunch (2010-12). Prior to her stint with Anaheim’s AHL affiliates, Reddin spent a year in the Ducks front office. 
 
A native of Newport Beach, Calif., Reddin received a degree in Merchandise Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (Los Angeles). 
 
Jillian and her husband, Colin, reside in Encinitas.

Steve Trachtenberg enters his first season as Team Services Manager for the San Diego Gulls. Before joining the Gulls Hockey Operations staff, Trachtenberg spent the previous three hockey seasons as the Director of Hockey Operations for Massachusetts Hockey of the NCAA. 
 
In that role, he was responsible for coordinating all logistics of team activities, scheduling, and travel. He managed all video-related activities and helped ensure the program was compliant with NCAA, conference, and university rules and regulations. 
 
Trachtenberg, a 2018 UMass graduate, previously served as a hockey operations assistant for the Minutemen for four seasons while working towards his sport management degree. 
 
Trachtenberg also earned his master's degree in sport management at the University of Massachusetts in 2024.  
 
Prior to being named Director of Hockey Operations in May 2021, Trachtenberg spent two years as a partnership services coordinator with Learfield IMG College: UMass Sports Properties and Army West Point Sports Properties, managing contracted partnership elements and overseeing fulfillment for in-game promotions and assets for corporate sponsors. 
 
As an undergraduate, Trachtenberg worked as a member of the UMass hockey equipment staff and supported the Director of Hockey Operations with video and hockey analytics for coaching staff and NHL teams. He also served as a Corporate Sponsorship Intern with the Philadelphia Flyers in the summer of 2018 and was a Ticket and Fan Services Intern with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016 to 2018. 
 
A native of Warrington, Pennsylvania, Trachtenberg currently resides in Pacific Beach. 

Matt McIlvane enters his second season as head coach of the San Diego Gulls, becoming the fifth head coach in Gulls AHL history.   

McIlvane led San Diego to a 20-point increase in his first season as head coach in 2023-24, steering San Diego to a 26-35-10-1 record and 63 standings points.   

Named to his current position on Apr. 25, 2023, McIlvane joins the Gulls after spending the last four consecutive seasons as a coach with EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League (International Central European Hockey League), the top-tier league in Austria, featuring additional teams from Hungary, Italy, and Slovenia, from 2019-23. McIlvane led Salzburg to back-to-back league championship in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and he also won an ICE Hockey League title as assistant coach with Salzburg in 2013-14. He was the youngest head coach in Salzburg’s history when he was hired at age 33, leading the club to a 94-42-22-19 record in his four seasons (.650%) and a 31-8 mark in the postseason (.795%). 

A native of Naperville, Ill., McIlvane has won five league championships as a head coach and assistant coach in Europe the last 10 seasons. Prior to his role with Salzburg, McIlvane spent five seasons with EHC Red Bull München in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) from 2014-18, serving as associate coach in 2018-19 and assistant coach the prior four seasons. McIlvane helped München to three straight championships in 2016, 2017 and 2018, tied for the longest championship streak in DEL history. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the Orlando Solar Bears (ECHL) in 2012-13 and the Danville Dashers of the Federal Prospects Hockey League as General Manager and head coach (2011-12). 

Internationally, McIlvane helped Germany to a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang as an assistant coach, the country’s first-ever Olympic silver medal in hockey and third medal overall (two prior bronze). He also served as an assistant coach for Germany at the 2021 World Championship. 

McIlvane played four seasons as a professional from 2008-12, with his career cut short due to injury. Selected by Ottawa in the eighth round (251st overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft, he appeared in 12 career AHL games with Peoria (2010-11) and Binghamton (2008), earning 1-3=4 points. He appeared in 14 DEL contests with Eisbaren Berlin in 2008-09, recording 1-3=4 points in 14 games. He also scored 11-13=24 points in 62 IHL games with Bloomington in 2009-10 and appeared in two games with Cincinnati (ECHL) in 2011-12. Prior to his professional career, he spent four years at Ohio State University (Big Ten), collecting 15-37=52 points in 156 games from 2004-08, serving as captain his senior season in 2007-08.  

Matt and his wife, Megan, have two children, Mason and Mila. The family now resides in San Diego.   

  

			REGULAR SEASON							PLAYOFFS
Year	Team	League	GP	W	L	OTW	OTL	PTS	PCT	GP	W	L	PCT
2019-20	EC Salzburg	EBEL	40	22	7	6	5	83	0.692	3	2	1	0.667
2020-21	EC Salzburg	ICEHL	40	19	13	3	5	68	0.567	8	5	3	0.625
2021-22	EC Salzburg	ICEHL	49	24	10	9	6	96	0.653	12	12	0	1.000
2022-23	EC Salzburg	ICEHL	48	29	12	4	3	98	0.681	16	12	4	0.750
ICEHL Totals			177	94	42	22	19	345	0.650	39	31	8	0.795

 

Kris Sparre begins his third season as Assistant Coach for the Gulls. Sparre joins the Anaheim Ducks organization after serving as associate coach for the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 2021-22, helping the club to a franchise best 42-21-1-4 record and their first Western Conference Finals appearance. 

Prior to joining Flint, Sparre was an assistant coach for Salzburg of the Champions Hockey League (ICEHL) from 2019-21, assisting the club to a 43-23-11 record and a berth in the ICEHL semifinals in 2021. He began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs from 2016-19, helping guide the club to postseason appearances in each of his three seasons behind the bench. With Sparre on staff, the IceDogs posted a combined record of 102-75-20-7 and won the Emms Trophy as Central Division champions in 2019.  

A native of Mississauga, Ontario, Sparre played nine professional seasons from 2008-16. He earned 32-43=75 points and 187 penalty minutes (PIM) in 257 DEL games with Iserlohn, Ingolstadt, Berlin and Dusseldorfer. Sparre also appeared in 65 ECHL games with the Idaho Steelheads and Columbia Inferno, collecting 17-22=39 points with a +6 rating and 105 PIM. 

Jeff Glass enters his third season as Goaltending Coach with the San Diego Gulls. Glass joined the organization after a 17-year professional goaltending career, concluding with a two-year AHL deal with the Gulls.  

Glass appeared in 15 NHL contests with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18 going 3-7-3 with a .898 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.36 goals-against average (GAA). He spent parts of nine seasons in the AHL, posting a 78-98-13 record with a 3.26 GAA, .900 SV% and six shutouts in 218 career games with San Diego (2018-19 and 2020-22), Toronto Marlies (2016-17 and 2018-19), Rockford IceHogs (2016-17 and 2017-18) and Binghamton Senators (2005-09).    

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Glass also earned a 6-4 record with a 2.43 GAA and .912 SV% in 11 Calder Cup Playoff games with San Diego. During the 2019 Calder Cup Playoffs, Glass stopped a club record 51-of-53 shots to win the longest game in Gulls playoff history, and fifth-longest in AHL history, in Game 1 of the Pacific Division Finals at Bakersfield.  

Originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the third round (89th overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft, Glass spent seven seasons internationally in the KHL with Barys Astana (Kazakhstan), Sibir Novosibirsk (Russia), Spartak Moskva (Russia), CSKA Moskva (Russia), Lada Togliatti (Russia) and Dinamo Minsk (Belarus). He posted a record of 81-87-30 with a .916 SV%, 2.64 GAA, and 16 shutouts in 218 career KHL games.  

Lucas Hurtt begins his third season as Video Coordinator with the San Diego Gulls. Hurtt joined the organization after serving as Assistant Video Coach for the New Jersey Devils for two seasons from 2021-22.  

A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., Hurtt served in various hockey operations roles with Boston College men’s ice hockey (Hockey East) from 2015-2020 and helped the Eagles to Hockey East Regular Season Championships in 2018 and 2020. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English and a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Boston College.  

Hedican enters his first season as Player Development Analyst with the San Diego Gulls following a 15-year broadcasting career with the San Jose Sharks. 

Hedican retired from a 17-year NHL career in September 2009 and joined the Sharks broadcasting team as the club’s Color Analyst for their local television broadcasts. Before joining the Sharks broadcast team full-time in 2014, he spent five seasons as a pre-game post-game analyst for NBC Sports California’s coverage (2009-14). He provided radio color commentary for Westwood One’s coverage of men’s and women’s hockey at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. 

Hedican appeared in 1,039 career NHL games from 1991-2009, recording 55-239=294 points with 893 penalty minutes (PIM) with Anaheim, St. Louis, Vancouver, Florida and Carolina. Originally a 10th round selection (198th overall) by the Blues in the 1988 NHL Draft, Hedican spent the final year of his NHL career with the Ducks in 2008-09, tallying 1-5=6 points in 51 games. He helped the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006 as part of three trips to the Stanley Cup Finals (also 1992 and 2002), posting 2-9=11 points, 42 PIM and a +6 rating in 25 playoff games. Hedican appeared in 108 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, earning 4-22=26 points, 108 PIM and a +10 rating. He also represented the United States in two Olympic Games (1992, 2006) and three World Championships (1997, 1999, 2001). Hedican helped Team USA to a gold medal at the 2013 Women’s World Championship serving as video coach. 

Joey Guilmet is in his ninth season as Head Equipment Manager of the Gulls and his 13th season in the Anaheim Ducks organization. A native of Ocean Beach, Calif., Guilmet has 23-plus years of experience between the NHL and AHL. He most recently spent two seasons as equipment manager for Arizona State University’s men’s ice hockey program. He was named to ASU’s staff prior to their inaugural NCAA Division I season in 2015-16. 

Guilmet spent four seasons working as the equipment manager for Anaheim’s primary AHL affiliate with the Norfolk Admirals (2012-15) and Syracuse Crunch (2011-12). He spent 12 seasons with the Atlanta Thrashers in the NHL (2000-2011) and nine seasons in the International Hockey League, splitting time with the Orlando Solar Bears (1995-99) and San Diego Gulls (1991-95). Additionally, Guilmet was an equipment manager at the 2007 NHL All-Star Game and the 1992 MLB All-Star Game. 

Guilmet has represented Team USA on five occasions, serving as part of the staff at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games as well as three IIHF Men’s World Championships (2001, 2008, 2009). He was the equipment manager for Team USA’s gold medal team at the 2017 World Junior Championships. 

Guilmet received a degree from Mesa College in San Diego, and Gwinnett Tech in Duluth, Ga. He earned his certification in the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) in 1995. Additionally, he conducted a workshop demonstrating equipment repair for professional and college equipment managers at the 2006 AEMA Meetings and also hosted a workshop on carbon fiber/kydex skate guard protection at the 2008 Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers Meeting. Guilmet is currently working on his bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership at Arizona State University. 

Joey, his wife Michele, their son Oliver and daughter June, reside in Ocean Beach. 

Zach Sinkeldam enters his first season as assistant equipment manager and second overall with the Gulls after working 2023-24 in a game day capacity.

Sinkeldam previously worked over four years with The Rinks - Poway ICE marketing department as a street team member. In his time with The Rinks, he helped orchestrate grass roots programs and was the main point of contact between Poway and Anaheim for the Learn to Play Hockey and Little Ducks programs and helped outfit hundreds of kids with gear. Sinkeldam has also helped coach the San Diego Gulls special hockey team for the last two years. 

Zach is a San Diego native and currently resides in South Park with his wife, Chiara and dog, Olympia.

Haley Cruz begins her first season as Head Athletic Trainer for the San Diego Gulls. Cruz most recently served as Head Athletic Trainer for the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League.

Cruz graduated from Boise State University with a master’s degree in Athletic Training and a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Pre-Athletic Training. During her time there, she worked with the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL as well as Boise State's football and women's soccer teams. Cruz also spent time as the Head Athletic Trainer for the Macon Mayhem and Vermillion County Bobcats of the SPHL, as well as an Athletic Trainer for the Anchorage Wolverines of the North American Hockey League.

A Folsom, Ca. native, Cruz is a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer and AHA BLS Certified. Cruz resides in Carlsbad.

Jason McGee begins his fourth season as Assistant Athletic Trainer for the San Diego Gulls, where he specializes in creating the optimal environment to help the players return to an elite competitive level. McGee oversees inventory, ordering, medical testing, and assists in day-to-day operations of the medical staff, ensuring optimal efficiency and clinical precision. 

McGee earned a bachelor's degree in Athletic Training from Ohio State University and a master’s degree in Nutrition from Lamar University. McGee has spent time in various athletic training roles with the Vermilion County Bobcats of the Southern Professional Hockey League, Lamar University's Football program, the Palm Springs Collegiate Baseball League, the XFL’s Seattle Dragons, Major League Lacrosse’s Ohio Machine, and Ohio State University's Football and Ice Hockey programs as a student. 

A native of Gaithersburg, Md., McGee is a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer and a NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. Jason resides in San Diego.  

Jordan Davis enters his first season as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach and his third season overall for the San Diego Gulls. In his role, Davis helps to ensure the overall fitness, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and supplementation programs of the club’s players. 

Davis most recently worked in the private sector, assisting professional athletes in their offseason training. Prior to that role, he worked primarily in college athletics, serving as the Head Strength and Conditioning coach with Cal Poly University for football, wrestling, women’s basketball, throwers, men’s soccer, and beach volleyball. Davis spent 2015-18 with Eastern Illinois University, serving as Head Football Strength and Conditioning Coach at Eastern Illinois and overseeing baseball, men’s soccer, throwers, and an assistant with the football program as a graduate assistant. He also worked as a strength and conditioning intern at Eastern Washington, Purdue, Missouri, and Notre Dame.  

A native of Indiana, Davis earned a bachelor’s degree in Sports Performance from Purdue University and a master’s degree in Sports Administration from Eastern Illinois University. Davis holds various certifications such as his NSCA CSCS, PPSC, APC, VBT, and CPR/AED certifications.  

Jordan resides in San Diego with his dog, Cooper. 

Michael Sullivan enters his first season with the San Diego Gulls as an assistant strength & conditioning coach. Before the Gulls, Sullivan served as the Assistant Director of Athletic Performance at Illinois State University for a year. He was tasked with all athletic development training for Baseball program including initiating athlete monitoring system, in-season nutrition plans, and developing return-to-play & travel-trip training protocols. 

Prior to Illinois State, Sullivan was a sports performance coach with TCBOOST Sports Performance. He led 25+ sessions per week in linear and multi-directional speed, agility, and strength development with groups ranging from 1-60+ athletes of every age. On top of that, Sullivan aided in all aspects surrounding NFL Combine/Pro Day preparation and coaching and was the led NFL off-season training for veteran and rookie players. 

Before that, Sullivan spent seven months from January 2023 – July 2023 as a sports performance consultant for Northwestern Football helping with speed development and video analysis breakdown. 

Sullivan has certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) – NSCA and as a USAW Sports Performance Coach. 

Sullivan earned his undergrad in Kinesiology from Southwestern University (2019) and a Master of Science in Biomechanics (2021) from Illinois State University. 

Adam enters his fourth season as the Director of Data and Recovery for San Diego. In this role, Rusiewicz works with the team and coaches to manage the players’ daily training load, track and perform testing, and use data to drive daily training decisions. 

Rusiewicz earned his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from SUNY Cortland and his master's degree in Kinesiology from A.T. Still University. In addition, he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. 

Prior to working with the Gulls, Rusiewicz spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, beginning as a volunteer Strength and Conditioning coach and ending his time with the team as the Sports Science Coordinator. 

A native of Indiana, Pa., Adam, his wife Elizabeth, and daughter Eden, reside in San Diego.