The San Diego Gulls are finally back on the ice for game action, and there’s only one tune-up before the real thing starts. Tonight, they face the Ontario Reign at Toyota Arena at 7 p.m. PDT in their lone preseason matchup, the final stop in training camp before the regular season gets underway.
For a roster that’s still coming together, this is less about the scoreboard and more about timing, chemistry and getting the details sharp in a live setting. Head coach Dave Manson said the focus is squarely on the stretch toward Oct. 3.
"We're just building towards Oct. 3, and getting used to each other, and building on a few things that the coaching staff feel is important," head coach Dave Manson said. "Then always you enjoy those tune-ups in the exhibition season, to see your games up and implement and pound fundamentals."
Tonight also brings a new look behind the bench. Manson will coach his first game as a head coach, with Kelly Buchberger and Steve McCarthy joining him as assistant coaches in their debut together as a staff. Even with the new title, Manson isn’t exactly a stranger to the room.
That familiarity matters for Roman Kinal, who said the returning players already know what to expect from him.
"Obviously it's really nice because we have a relationship from last year," Roman Kinal said. "All the guys know him.
He was a big part of the locker room too and just getting to know everyone. And this year, I think it's going to be pretty seamless with him as a head coach.
We all know what to expect. He's really clear on his message today, and it's going to be promising on how this year is going to go."
The Gulls are expected to ice a mostly young lineup, and some players will be stepping into their first AHL action tonight. That makes the game a useful measuring stick for a group still battling for roster spots and trying to stack experience early.
It’s also San Diego’s first game since last season’s first-round exit from the Calder Cup playoffs, and that loss is still sitting with the team. Kinal said the disappointment has fueled the group as it heads into the 2026-27 season.
"It was frustrating," Kinal said. "We put a lot of work into it going into the playoffs.
Even at the end of the year last year, we were kind of really finding our stride as a team, and so there were a lot of expectations that we felt like we put on ourselves to win. Obviously, we were cut short, and it was frustrating but it’s just more motivation going into this year."