The original San Diego Gulls team was founded in 1966 as part of the Western Hockey League. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena.[1]
Willie O'Ree, the first black athlete to play in the NHL, was an All-Star for the Gulls. His jersey is retired. The Gulls were coached by Max McNab for six seasons from 1966 to 1972, and by Jack Evans for two seasons from 1972 to 1974. The Gulls ceased operations in 1974, when the World Hockey Association's Jersey Knights relocated to San Diego, becoming the San Diego Mariners.
Prior to the Gulls, the very first hockey team came to San Diego in the 1940s. They were called the San Diego Skyhawks and played at Glacier Gardens downtown. Even though they were a hockey team, they weren’t considered a pro team until the San Diego Gulls came to town. The San Diego Gulls arrived in 1966 and the Sky Hawks went out of business in 2006. The San Diego Gulls are the minor league team of the Anaheim Ducks and they play at the Sports Arena but is now known as Pechanga Arena.[2]
Source:[3] Legend: Pct=Winning percentage
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | Points | Pct % | Goals for | Goals against | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966-67 | 72 | 22 | 47 | 3 | 47 | 0.326 | 222 | 266 | |
| 1967-68 | 72 | 31 | 36 | 5 | 67 | 0.465 | 241 | 236 | |
| 1968-69 | 74 | 33 | 29 | 12 | 78 | 0.527 | 273 | 260 | |
| 1969-70 | 72 | 33 | 29 | 10 | 76 | 0.528 | 263 | 242 | |
| 1970-71 | 72 | 33 | 27 | 12 | 78 | 0.542 | 248 | 223 | |
| 1971-72 | 72 | 32 | 31 | 9 | 73 | 0.507 | 241 | 243 | |
| 1972-73 | 72 | 32 | 29 | 11 | 75 | 0.521 | 239 | 223 | |
| 1973-74 | 78 | 40 | 33 | 5 | 85 | 0.545 | 278 | 281 |