The San Diego Gulls men’s ice hockey team opens a back-to-back American Hockey League series against the Tucson Roadrunners on October 16, 2026, at the Tucson Convention Center Arena. This marks the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Last season, the Gulls held a 5-1-1-1 record against Tucson, including a flawless 4-0-0-0 record on the road. Overall, San Diego leads the all-time series 45-33-6-3, with a strong 27-14-2-0 mark in Tucson.
Both teams have had comparable starts to the season. The Gulls carry a 2-2-1-0 record with five points from five games, while Tucson is 2-2-0-0 with four points from four games. San Diego is coming off a narrow 3-2 loss at home to the Ontario Reign on October 14, where they demonstrated excellent penalty killing, going 4-for-5, and scored a late power play goal by Yegor Sidorov.
Defenseman Matt Basgall emphasized the team’s focus entering the series. “Discipline is definitely going to be what we’re harping on going into this weekend,” he said. “We want to get four points going into Tucson.”
Head coach Dave Manson highlighted the recent power play goal as a positive sign. “You feel that power play’s been knocking on the door, so it’s nice to see them get one, and hopefully, that lightens the pressure a bit. But it’s something that you need rolling if you’re going to have some success in this league,” he said.
Tucson enters the series after a two-game winning streak over the San Jose Barracuda on October 9 and 10, winning 7-4 and 4-1, respectively. The teams will conclude the back-to-back series the following night again at Tucson Convention Center Arena.
CSB Take
The upcoming series offers the San Diego Gulls a critical chance to build on their strong road performance against a familiar rival. Maintaining discipline and continuing to improve on the power play are likely to be key factors in securing maximum points. These games will test the Gulls’ ability to sustain early-season momentum and set the tone for their campaign in the AHL.
Source: Original report
