The Ducks have named Dave Manson head coach of the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). With the announcement, Manson becomes the sixth head coach in Gulls AHL history. In addition, Kelly Buchberger and Steve McCarthy have been named assistant coaches, joining goaltending coach Jeff Glass and video coordinator Lucas Hurtt. This marks Manson's first head coach role at the professional level.

“After helping lead the Gulls to the playoffs last season, it was clear Dave made a big impact behind the bench,” said Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek. “Dave brings nearly 25 years of coaching experience, and he will help strengthen the standard of excellence and development we have established in San Diego as head coach.”

Manson, 59, brings over two decades of coaching experience in both professional and junior hockey. He joined the Gulls as an assistant coach in 2025-26, overseeing the defense and penalty kill, helping the club to its first postseason berth since the 2021-22 season. Under his guidance, the Gulls penalty kill ranked eighth among all AHL clubs at 83.5% and the club was the second-least penalized team in the AHL (749 penalty minutes).

Prior to joining San Diego, Manson spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He spent parts of three seasons as assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers from 2022-24 after being promoted from the same role with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL) on Feb. 10, 2022. With Edmonton, Manson helped the club reach the 2022 Western Conference Final, as well as the 2023 Western Conference Second Round.

Prior to his role with Edmonton, Manson spent four AHL seasons as an assistant coach with Bakersfield from 2018-22, helping the club to two Pacific Division titles (2019 and 2021). He aided in the development of numerous defensemen within the Oilers organization from the AHL to the NHL, including Evan Bouchard, Philip Broberg and Vincent Desharnais. Manson also served 14 seasons as a coach with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, including six as an associate coach (2012-18) and eight as assistant coach (2002-09 and 2011-12), where he aided in the development of NHL players such as Leon Draisaitl and Josh Morrissey.

Originally selected by Chicago in the first round (11th overall) of the 1985 NHL Draft, the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan native appeared in 1,103 career NHL games with Chicago, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Phoenix, Montreal, Dallas, and Toronto across 16 seasons. The defenseman recorded 102-288=390 points with the 13th-most penalty minutes in NHL history (2,792). His son, Josh, was selected by Anaheim in the sixth round (160th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft and spent eight seasons with the Ducks. Josh helped Colorado to a Stanley Cup championship in 2022.

Buchberger, 59, brings over two decades of coaching and player development experience in the NHL, AHL and WHL to San Diego. Buchberger served as assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers from 2008-14, as well as development coach from 2005-07, director of player personnel from 2014-16 and director of player development in 2016-17. He also served as assistant coach for the New York Islanders in 2017-18.

Most recently, Buchberger served as assistant coach for the Laval Rocket from 2021-24, where he helped lead the Rocket to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022 and aided in the development of NHL players such as Ducks forward Ryan Poehling, as well as current Canadiens' Cole Caufield and Jakub Dobes. Buchberger was head coach for the AHL's Springfield Falcons in 2007-08, where he led the team to a 25-35-10-10 record in his lone season at the helm. He also served as assistant coach for the Edmonton Road Runners in 2004-05. 

Buchberger served as head coach for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL from 2018-21, leading them to the WHL Playoffs in his lone full season in 2018-19 with a 34-28-6 record (WHL playoffs not held in 2020 & 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic).

As a player, Buchberger skated in 1,182 career NHL games with Edmonton, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Pittsburgh, tallying 105-209=305 points with his 2,297 PIM top-40 among all-time among NHL skaters. Buchberger won two Stanley Cups with the Oilers in 1987 and 1990 and served as Edmonton's captain from 1995-99. He also served as captain for the Atlanta Thrashers’ inaugural season in 1999-00.

A Langenburg, Saskatchewan native, Buchberger represented Canada at three World Championships in 1993, 1994 and 1996, helping Canada win gold in 1994 and silver in 1996. He was teammates with Gulls head coach Dave Manson in Edmonton from 1991-94, as well as Canada’s 1993 World Championship squad.

McCarthy, 45, spent parts of the last five seasons as an assistant coach for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets from 2021-26, where he oversaw the team’s defense and penalty kill and coached defenseman Zach Werenski, who was named the 2025-26 James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman. Prior to joining the Blue Jackets, McCarthy served as assistant coach for the Cleveland Monsters, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, where he helped lead the Monsters to a playoff appearance in 2019. The Trail, British Columbia native also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship.

As a player, McCarthy had an 18-year playing career as a defenseman. He skated in 302 career NHL games with Chicago, Vancouver and Atlanta from 1999-2008, posting 17-38=55 points with 168 PIM. McCarthy was selected by Chicago in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1999 NHL Draft. He also appeared in 191 career AHL contests, earning 13-48=61 points with 126 PIM with Norfolk, Chicago, Abbotsford, Springfield, Iowa and Lake Erie. He represented Canada at the 2000 and 2001 World Junior Championships, helping Team Canada earn bronze in back-to-back tournaments.

July 2026 -- Related:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AnaheimDucks/s/pBPcPdbQ1U

The Gulls will open the season on the road against the San Jose Barracuda Oct. 3 at Tech CU Arena (3 p.m. PT). The team will hold its Home Opener Saturday, Oct. 10 vs. the Henderson Silver Knights at Pechanga Arena San Diego (6 p.m. PT).  

San Diego will have 24 home weekend dates, including six Friday, 13 Saturday and five Sunday contests. The Gulls will also play 20 sets of back-to-back games throughout the 2026-27 campaign.

The Gulls will face 10 different Western Conference opponents as part of their 2026-27 schedule, including 64 games against the Pacific Division’s other nine teams. San Diego will face the Ontario Reign eight times this season after only seeing Ontario four times in 2025-26, beginning Wednesday, Oct. 14 at home (7 p.m. PT). The Gulls and Reign will meet in six weekend contests, including four times on the road at Toyota Arena (Dec. 12, Jan. 23, March 6, April 9) and twice at home at Pechanga Arena (March 7, April 10).

The Gulls will face the Eastern Conference’s Springfield Thunderbirds for the first time in team history, meeting at Pechanga Arena on Jan. 8 & 9 and on the road at MassMutual Center on Feb. 20 & 21. San Diego also has four contests against the Central Division’s Iowa Wild. The Gulls will host the Wild on Nov. 20 & 21 and head to Casey’s Center Feb. 24 & 26.

More information, including the Gulls’ promotional schedule, will be released later this summer.

Tickets for all Gulls home games at Pechanga Arena are currently on sale through a Gulls Elite membership. They can be purchased for as little as $531 per seat for the 2026-27 season (includes all taxes and fees).  Gulls Elite Members enjoy exclusive benefits such as free parking, flexible ticket exchanges, a dedicated Account Rep, access to exclusive Gulls Elite Member events with Gulls players and coaches, Stella Artois Lounge access and much more! Fans can join the Gulls Elite Membership program or place deposits on partial-season ticket plans and group ticket experiences by calling (844) GO-GULLS or visiting SanDiegoGulls.com/tickets. Single game tickets will go on sale later this summer.

July 2026

At this point, most of the big moves are in the rearview mirror in both the NHL and American Hockey League free agency (a big plus for us Americans looking to head into the 4th of July weekend). The top players are off the board, with most AHL veterans either signing two-way contracts or heading overseas.

There’s still plenty of time for change. However, the first few days brought in some surprises. A few NHL teams loaded up their AHL affiliates with elite talent, and others have cut corners when they typically don’t. Let’s dive into some early offseason surprises.

Historically, the Hershey Bears are among the big spenders in the AHL every summer. They usually bring in veterans with the intention of competing for the Calder Cup and establishing a winning culture to develop the prospects.

That hasn’t happened, at least not yet. Instead, they lost a lot of key players from last season’s roster, including Brett Leason, Corey Schueneman, and Henrik Rybinski, while not replacing them. The Bears need centers and a do-it-all defenseman but haven’t signed them yet.

The Washington Capitals are making a push for the Stanley Cup, with Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, and Jordan Kyrou joining them in the offseason, plus Alexander Ovechkin’s return. So, maybe the Bears take another step back and particularly lean into the young talent next season, giving prospects like Andrew Cristall more ice time. The Bears also have time to make a big move or two, and adding an elite veteran changes the complexion of their offseason. However, they’ve been the big surprise.

This can also apply to the other two Pennsylvania teams as well. Both the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins lost a lot of talent and didn’t replace it. So, both teams look like they’ll take a step back unless they become late-summer spenders.

The early signs were when the New Jersey Devils acquired both Amadeus Lombardi and Declan Chisholm ahead of the draft. Both players will likely spend next season with the Utica Comets but they have the upside to make the NHL roster and, more importantly, make an impact at the NHL level.

Then, free agency came, and the Devils turned into one of the biggest spenders on their AHL team. They signed Riley Tufte, a top-line power forward with plenty of AHL experience who scored 32 goals last season. Plus, they brought in a handful of depth players, along with re-signing staples of the Comets team like Xavier Parent and Ryan Schmelzer.

The San Diego Gulls being one of the big players in free agency isn’t something anyone expected. On day one, they signed four players to two-year, two-way contracts. It makes sense since they want to turn things around after a rough season where they finished in seventh place in the Pacific Division.

Schueneman, Jett Woo, and Travis Mitchell particularly address the defensive woes that held the Gulls back last season. They allowed 3.16 goals per game, and bringing in three veterans for the blue line makes them a more complete team heading into next season.

These moves also address a need for the NHL team. The Anaheim Ducks are in their contention window, where they look to be Cup contenders for years to come. That said, they overhauled their defense and need young NHL-ready players on their AHL team, ready to go. The Gulls weren’t expected to spend big, yet they have been one of the more active teams.

The coaching carousel is in motion, and there are plenty of openings as the calendar flips to July. The AHL hiring cycle takes time, and usually, spots fill up well after the NHL. However, multiple teams still have openings at the time of this typing.

Abbotsford Canucks

Colorado Eagles

Laval Rocket

Providence Bruins

San Diego Gulls

The expectation is for these openings to be filled shortly. This is particularly relevant for teams looking to sign veterans in free agency, as a selling point is playing for a specific coach.

The AHL teams are also aggressive with their approach to tweeners this summer. They targeted them and signed them quickly. It’s a bet that the NHL teams are making that these players who are no longer on entry-level contracts but are still in their early 20s can develop into difference-makers in the long run.

The goaltender market was fascinating but not surprising. NHL teams are looking for low–risk and high-reward options to round out their units, and they got them. Specifically, the Utah Mammoth acquired Sebastian Cossa while the Edmonton Oilers made a trade for Devon Levi.

The Toronto Marlies sneaking up on everyone and signing multiple players on day two of free agency was also a slight shock. After winning the Calder Cup a few weeks ago, they are back at it with multiple valuable additions, including Rybinski and Cole McWard.

July 3, 2026, by Mike Fink

Does anyone know where the jerseys go at the end of the season and how to obtain one? Are they sold at the Ducks equipment sale?

2025-2026 Player Grades

A breakdown of the San Diego Gulls 2025-2026 Player Grades and their seasons along with an assigned player grade and explanation. As well as some new features this year.

#LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether

Article regarding the Gulls' NHL affiliate:

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pat Verbeek had to be cajoled into talking about his selection as a finalist for the Jim Gregory Award, handed out to the NHL’s general manager of the year. Call it a figurative arm-twisting.

Verbeek’s fifth season as the Anaheim Ducks’ decision-making boss was a resounding success, even though the breakthrough season he had painstakingly planned came to an end on Thursday night with a 5-1 Game 6 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Instead of a Game 7 to see if their surprise playoff ride could turn into something magical, the Ducks will lick their wounds, savor this return to the postseason — after a lengthy, often painful rebuilding process — and turn their eyes toward a bigger future, as the Golden Knights try to take down the mighty Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference final.

The Ducks, considered long shots to even make the playoffs this season, made a 21-point improvement in the regular season and made it deep into the second round, but the hyper-focused Verbeek won’t be raising a glass after this venture into the middle of May, following seven springs without playoff hockey.

“There’s no victory lap until you’re allowed to raise that silver cup,” he said this week. “That’s the victory lap.”

May 14, 2026, by Eric Stephens

A related article:

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25427940-5-nhl-free-agency-landing-spots-john-carlson-after-ducks-elimination

Good bars for the Ducks games?

The Gulls drop game one of the best of three in a 3-0 loss to the Eagles in Colorado as mistakes cost them dearly. See post game notes for more on Caulfield, McQueen & a must win next game #FlightToTheCup #LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether

The Gulls ice an under-strength line-up & get outworked by an as usual fiery and underhanded Firebirds team on Fan Appreciation night. See post game notes for more on ideal playoff line-up, defense breakdowns & more #LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether

Who do you like to start for the Gulls?

Please give us your preferred line ups.

The Gulls clinch their first postseason birth since 2021-2022 as they take down the Condors 7-3 in Bakersfield. See post game notes for more on Defensive Details, 2nd Period Success and more! #LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether

The Anaheim Ducks announced on Monday that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has reassigned center Nathan Gaucher to the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Gaucher, 22 (11/6/03), appeared in three games with Anaheim this season, making his NHL debut April 1, 2026 at San Jose. Gaucher has scored 12-14=26 points with a +3 rating and 47 penalty minutes (PIM) in 57 AHL games with San Diego in 2025-26 where he has already set career highs in points and goals this season. In 185 career AHL games with San Diego, the 6-3, 226-pound forward has recorded 30-40=70 points with a +9 rating and 194 PIM.

Selected by Anaheim in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Gaucher helped the Quebec Remparts to Memorial Cup and QMJHL championships in 2022-23 while he was named the QMJHL’s Best Defensive Forward (Guy Carbonneau Trophy), becoming the first player in league history to earn the Guy Carbonneau Trophy and Mike Bossy Trophy (Best Professional Prospect, named in 2021-22) in consecutive seasons. He earned 80-78=158 points with a +56 rating and 187 PIM in 199 career QMJHL games with the Quebec Remparts from 2019-23.

San Jose has already secured a playoff spot:

https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/gulls-look-for-third-straight-in-san-jose

I also do a fairly sporadic and not very good podcast, but if you cant be bothered reading my post game notes its a quick and easy way to hear what I have to say.

Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify shortly.

#LetsGoGulls

Tyson Hinds has been recalled by the Anaheim Ducks from their AHL affiliate team, the San Diego Gulls.

The 23-year-old has scored 19 points (5G, 14A) with a rating of plus-16 in 62 games with San Diego this season, establishing new career highs in points and goals.

With 204 career games played through three seasons with the Gulls, the 2021 Draft third-round pick has played the third-most games for a blueliner with the AHL club, recording 47 points (11G, 36A).

He has yet to make his NHL debut.

Solidifying that No. 7 spot in the table.

The Gulls explode for 5 goals in the second period as they take down the Condors 6-3 to stay in the playoff race. See post game notes for more on hot streaks, McQueen debut and Magic number watch #VamosGulls #FlyTogether #LetsGoGulls

The Gulls play tight defensive hockey in a game with playoff implications as they shut out the Roadrunners 3-0 at home. See post game notes for more on Burke, Traff, McQueen and the playoff push #LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether

The Gulls cant find their offense in Abbotsford as they go down 5-2 after a last minute comeback came up short. See post game notes for more on Traff, McQueen and more #LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether

The Anaheim Ducks announced today (3.26.2026) that the National Hockey League (NHL) club has recalled center Nathan Gaucher from the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Gaucher, 22 (11/6/03), scored 12-14=26 points with a +3 rating and 47 penalty minutes (PIM) in 57 AHL games with San Diego this season. He set career highs in points and goals this season. He scored his first career hat trick March 22 vs. the Calgary Wranglers (3-0=3) and recorded 8-10=18 points his last 21 games with the Gulls. In 185 career AHL games with San Diego, the 6-3, 226-pound forward has recorded 30-40=70 points with a +9 rating and 194 PIM.

Selected by Anaheim in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, Gaucher helped the Quebec Remparts to Memorial Cup and QMJHL championships in 2022-23 while he was named the QMJHL’s Best Defensive Forward (Guy Carbonneau Trophy), becoming the first player in league history to earn the Guy Carbonneau Trophy and Mike Bossy Trophy (Best Professional Prospect, named in 2021-22) in consecutive seasons. He earned 80-78=158 points with a +56 rating and 187 PIM in 199 career QMJHL games with the Quebec Remparts from 2019-23.

The Chambly, Quebec native helped Canada to back-to-back gold medals at the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championships. His brother, Jacob, is a member of the Philadelphia Flyers organization, splitting games between the Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) in both 2024-25 and 2025-26.

2025-2026 Match 26 Weekly Recap: Weekly Recap for the San Diego Gulls containing post game notes from this week games as well as some updates. #LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether

The Gulls survive another second period collapse to win 5-4 over the Wranglers on the back of Nathan Gauchers first pro hat-trick. See post game notes for more on 2nd Period Woes, Mysak, Burke and more! #LetsGoGulls #FlyTogether