The atmosphere was electric as the sound of pucks ricocheting off the boards echoed through Valley View Casino Center. San Diego’s very own hockey team is back in business and ready to rock the house.

The San Diego Gulls are an American Hockey League (AHL) team that was formed in 2015 in San Diego. That last part, however, is not technically true. The Gulls are not a new name in San Diego households; they originally started here in 1966 as part of the Western Hockey League (WHL) until 1974. The next wave of Gulls migrated down through San Diego from 1990 to 1995 with the International Hockey League (IHL), but then switched to the West Coast Hockey League until 2006 (ducks.nhl.com).

But now, they’re back with new management in the form of the National Hockey League (NHL) team the Anaheim Ducks (ducks.nhl.com).

Gulls Equipment Technician Alf Tejada said, “Their first season back has been great.” There was a bit of speculation on how the new hockey team would be received by San Diegans. “The games are a lot bigger than what we expected,” said Tejada. “We average around 8,800 to 9,000 [spectators] per game, so we’re second in the league for total attendance.”

Senior Hirari Watanabe explained, “Usually, people in San Diego would have to make the trip up to Los Angeles or Anaheim to watch hockey, but now, they can stay in town and still feel connected to the NHL [through the Ducks affiliation].”

Now, what’s so different between the old and new Gulls? According to Tejada, the IHL was mainly for veterans who were retired from the NHL, but still wanted to play, so the IHL games were a bit slower paced than the AHL games now. The current AHL Gulls team consists mostly of Ducks draft picks who are preparing for the NHL.

Although people might automatically associate other sports like baseball or soccer when they think of Southern California, the hockey fan base is increasingly large, thanks to big teams like the Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings. “We have plenty of transplants from other cities on the east coast who are like, ‘Hey, we can watch hockey here, too,’ and we have around seven ice rinks in San Diego County alone, whereas some towns in Canada only have one. That is huge,” said Tejada.

Hockey’s popularity can also be attributed to NBC contract’s with the NHL. “Now, there’s a hockey game being broadcasted almost everyday,” said Tejada. “Hockey is thriving in Southern California.”

The Gulls hope to finish the year out well, and you can find any of their home games at the Valley View Casino Center for some fast-paced excitement. You might even be able to catch some fights on the ice, as well as some fun with friends off of it.