For the second straight season, the Gulls will open and close their season in the same arena about 370 miles east of San Diego. They can only hope it turns out more like the beginning of last season and less like the end.
The Gulls began the 2017-18 season with a victory at Tucson, but they ended it with two consecutive losses there when just one point in either game would have meant qualifying for the American Hockey League postseason.
The first chance for whatever revenge they can salvage comes Oct. 6 with the season opener. Six days later, on Friday, Oct. 12, the Gulls will play their home opener against the Roadrunners.
That’s the start of a 68-game season — announced Wednesday — that runs for six months, until another season-ender at Tucson, on April 13. The Gulls will play 56 games against Pacific Division opponents, including eight against the newest team, the Colorado Eagles. The other 12 games will come against Central Division teams including San Antonio and Texas, who have shifted from the Pacific to make room for Colorado.
Among the 34 home games at Valley View Casino Center, all of which begin at 7 p.m., will be 12 each on Friday and Saturday nights.
The most popular opponent will be, as usual, the Ontario Reign. In addition to 12 regular-season meetings, the Gulls and Reign also will play two exhibition games, Sept. 27 at Ontario and Oct. 1 at Anaheim’s Honda Center.
The complete schedule (HOME games in ALL CAPS):
Date Opponent Time
Sat., Oct. 6 @ Tucson 7:05 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 12 TUCSON 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 13 @ Ontario 6:00 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 19 MILWAUKEE 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 20 BAKERSFIELD 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 26 STOCKTON 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 27 TUCSON 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 3 @ Ontario 6:00 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 7 @ Tucson 6:05 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 9 COLORADO 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 10 COLORADO 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 16 BAKERSFIELD 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 21 ONTARIO 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 23 STOCKTON 7:00 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 25 @ Stockton 5:00 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 28 MANITOBA 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 30 MANITOBA 7:00 p.m.
Mon., Dec. 3 @ San Jose 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 5 TUCSON 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 7 @ Colorado 6:05 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 8 @ Colorado 6:05 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 14 @ Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 15 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Dec. 19 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Dec. 21 ONTARIO 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 22 @ Ontario 6:00 p.m.
Thur., Dec. 27 BAKERSFIELD 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Dec. 29 @ Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.
Sun., Dec. 30 @ San Jose 5:00 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 2 @ Bakersfield 6:30 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 4 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m.
Sun., Jan. 6 @ Ontario 3:00 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 9 @ Stockton 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 12 @ Milwaukee 5:00 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 14 @ Iowa 5:00 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 16 TEXAS 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 19 BAKERSFIELD 7:00 p.m.
Mon., Jan. 21 @ Ontario 3:00 p.m.
Fri., Jan. 25 @ San Antonio 5:30 p.m.
Sat., Jan. 26 @ Texas 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 27-29 All-Star Break
Fri., Feb. 1 ONTARIO 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 2 IOWA 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 6 ONTARIO 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 8 @ Ontario 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 9 @ Bakersfield 7:00 p.m.
Tues., Feb. 12 @ Colorado 5:05 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 13 @ Colorado 5:05 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 16 @ San Jose 1:15 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 17 @ San Jose 3:00 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 20 TUCSON 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 23 SAN ANTONIO 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 1 @ Stockton 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 2 @ Stockton 6:00 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 6 STOCKTON 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 8 COLORADO 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 9 COLORADO 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 13 @ Bakersfield 6:30 p.m.
Sun., Mar. 17 @ Manitoba 12:00 p.m.
Tues. Mar. 19 @ Manitoba 5:00 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 23 ONTARIO 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Mar. 27 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 29 BAKERSFIELD 7:00 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 30 STOCKTON 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Apr. 3 @ San Jose 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 5 ONTARIO 7:00 p.m.
Wed., Apr. 10 SAN JOSE 7:00 p.m.
Fri., Apr. 12 @ Tucson 7:05 p.m.
Sat., Apr. 13 @ Tucson 7:05 p.m.
[email protected]; Twitter: @sdutposner
