Editor’s note: This weekend’s games have been postponed because of a burst water main at Pechanga Arena.
The San Diego Gulls and their parent club are in the midst of parallel rebuilds.
For the AHL’s Gulls, who are 9-16-5 (23 points) heading into a five-game homestand that begins Friday night, the overhaul means dealing with some growing pains.
And yet, even in some of those rough outings, San Diego — the Anaheim Ducks’ top minor-league — is showing signs of growth.
Rookie forward Jaxsen Wiebe netted his first professional goal early in the third period of Wednesday’s 6-3 loss to the Silver Knights in Henderson, Nev., his 11th game since being called up to San Diego from Tulsa of the ECHL.
It was a big moment for the 6-1, 209-pounder from the hockey hotbed of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in part because it tied the game. Henderson would go on to score three goals in the final 13 minutes to win handily.
Like every other Gulls prospect, the 21-year-old Wiebe is hoping to turn AHL success into an NHL career.
“Yeah, it was exciting, obviously,” said Wiebe, who posted two goals and one assist in three games with Tulsa. “(Gulls forward Andrew Agozzino) made a really nice out front. I was in the right spot and just banged it in. It was exciting to tie the game. Unfortunately, didn’t end up going the right way the rest of the game, but it was exciting to get a goal.”
Developing individual skills while also absorbing tough lessons along the way has been the story of the Gulls’ season so far.
First-year coach Matt McIlvane’s team sits in last place in the 10-team Pacific Division, has been outscored 102-91 and has one victory in the last six contests.
The Ducks, San Diego’s parent club, are on a similar path. At 13-23-1 (27 points), Anaheim is seventh in the eight-team NHL Pacific Divison.
And yet every game provides an invaluable opportunity for players like Wiebe. Anaheim signed Wiebe (pronounced weeb) in March, after he scored 48 goals and logged 78 assists over four seasons with four teams in the WHL and SJHL junior leagues.
“He’s a great kid, and you know, he works hard,” said Gulls assistant coach Kris Sparre. “He was emotional on the bench after scoring. Really happy for him. I thought he played a good game. And it’s not always going to be easy, playing the minutes that he plays and he finds a way to get out there and he scores a big goal and at a big moment in the game. Happy for him.”
Wiebe is precisely the kind of player the Ducks organization wants to take a look at under general manager Pat Verbeek, who took charge in February 2022 and has since overhauled the entire organization.
Hockey experts generally ranked the Ducks as having one of the top two or three overall talent pipelines entering the season, metrics that measure talent at the NHL, AHL and ECHL levels while also factoring in draft picks who are playing overseas.
“Yeah I had a good 20-year-old year,” said Wiebe, who split time between Edmonton and Prince George of the WHL last season.
“Anaheim reached out and I mean, I just wanted to bring the same game that I played in juniors that got me here. I think just play physical and use my speed, try to play responsible with the puck. I’ve had a lot of fun this year and it’s an adjustment period, first year pro, but starting to find the game. So, hopefully keep working with the coaching staff and player development guys and take my game further, hopefully.”
