The third San Diego Gulls team was founded in 1995 immediately upon departure of the IHL team. The new Gulls were a part of the West Coast Hockey League. The Gulls played at the San Diego Sports Arena, formerly known as the "iPayOne Center."
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The Gulls won five of the league's eight championships known as the Taylor Cup. On December 11, 2002, Danielle Dube became the third female goaltender to start in goal for a professional men’s team.[1] Dube was the goalie for the San Diego Gulls in a 4-1 loss against the Long Beach Ice Dogs.[2] In 2003, the WCHL became the Pacific Division of the ECHL, formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League. In 2004, the Gulls became the ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. As of June 29, 2006, the Gulls folded and released their players as free agents in 2006 following years of unprofitable seasons.[3]
GULLS TO FORMALLY CEASE OPERATIONS FRIDAY - [ 06-29-2006 ] SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Gulls announced Thursday that they will formally cease operations as of Friday (June 30). Ongoing negotiations to sell the club did not materialize in a timeframe sufficient to operate for the 2006–07 season.[4]
Throughout their WCHL stint and through their first year of ECHL play, the Gulls were coached by St. Cloud State University (Minnesota) alumnus Steve Martinson. Martinson left the Gulls and went on to coach the Rockford IceHogs of the UHL. Martin St. Amour, who was a star for the Gulls in their WCHL years replaced Martinson as head coach prior to the 2004–05 season. St. Amour stepped down in the middle of the 2005–06 season and was replaced by former Gulls players Jamie Black and B.J. MacPherson as co-coaches.
| Season | League | Championship(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | WCHL | Taylor Cup - Playoff Champion, Founders Cup - Regular Season Champion |
| 1996–97 | WCHL | Taylor Cup - Playoff Champion, Founders Cup - Regular Season Champion |
| 1997–98 | WCHL | Taylor Cup - Playoff Champion, Founders Cup - Regular Season Champion |
| 2000–01 | WCHL | Taylor Cup - Playoff Champion, Founders Cup - Regular Season Champion |
| 2002–03 | WCHL | Taylor Cup - Playoff Champion |
| 2003–04 | ECHL | Brabham Cup - Regular Season Champion |
Legend: OL = Overtime loss, Pct = Winning percentage
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OL | Points | Pct % | Goals for |
Goals against |
Penalty minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–96 | 58 | 49 | 7 | – | 2 | 100 | 0.862 | 350 | 232 | 1790 |
| 1996–97 | 64 | 50 | 12 | – | 2 | 102 | 0.797 | 400 | 210 | 2571 |
| 1997–98 | 64 | 53 | 10 | – | 1 | 107 | 0.836 | 347 | 198 | 2680 |
| 1998–99 | 71 | 45 | 19 | – | 7 | 97 | 0.683 | 342 | 242 | 2746 |
| 1999–00 | 70 | 46 | 16 | – | 8 | 100 | 0.714 | 297 | 221 | 2234 |
| 2000–01 | 72 | 50 | 17 | – | 5 | 105 | 0.729 | 263 | 192 | 2043 |
| 2001–02 | 72 | 47 | 22 | – | 3 | 97 | 0.674 | 255 | 209 | 2677 |
| 2002–03 | 72 | 45 | 22 | – | 5 | 95 | 0.660 | 245 | 182 | 1930 |
| 2003–04 | 72 | 49 | 13 | 10 | – | 108 | 0.750 | 240 | 177 | 1594 |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 35 | 29 | 8 | – | 78 | 0.542 | 206 | 222 | 1519 |
| 2005–06 | 72 | 34 | 30 | 8 | – | 76 | 0.528 | 213 | 214 | 1811 |
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