City’s Hockey Fans Staging Their Own Power Play

‘Ockey returned to San Diego after almost a 12-year absence Friday night.

That’s right, ‘ockey. That is how they pronounce it in places where ‘ockey can be played in the back yard or in the schoolyard or in the barnyard and even in the summertime. We’re talking places that make North Dakota seem like a Club Med destination.

‘Ockey is associated with places named Moose Jaw and Elk Ridge and Beaver Creek. It’s something toddlers do before they walk.

But here we were on a sweltering October Friday evening in San Diego, awaiting the reincarnation of hockey hereabouts. It had been 12 seasons since hockey had been represented by local heroes. The last ones had been the Hawks, preceded by Gulls and Mariners and, way back, Skyhawks.

This was not, to be sure, National Hockey League hockey. San Diego has never had that kind. This was the International Hockey League, a misnomer unless Michigan has seceded from the union. There are no teams outside of the U.S. in the IHL.

San Diego’s representative in this 11-team circuit is known as the Gulls . . . or maybe it should be Gulls II. There could be considerable confusion if USIU, also known as the Gulls, manages to achieve athletic prominence. Of course, this will happen at about the same time Lucifer introduces hockey to his home environs.

The visitor on this auspicious occasion came from Salt Lake, which may have more Gulls than San Diego. These were the Golden Eagles, who at least come from an area where ice a natural phenomenon rather than a substance for blending margaritas.

And so it was that hockey made a comeback to the land of sand, sun and surf.

Given that San Diego is already the home to the major league Padres and Chargers and the perennial indoor soccer champion Sockers, it might have been expected to look down its collective sunburned noses at a minor league aggregation. It could be excused for thinking it deserved a representative from a league with Gretzky in it.

It is the case that San Diego should have an NHL team, but it was not the case that San Diego was unappreciative of what it had.

A crowd of 9,046 filed past pep bands, tuxedo-clad ticket-takers and, at least at one gate, a chimpanzee. They came wearing Penguin, King, Flyer and Red Wing T-shirts, as if to display their allegiance to the sport if not the teams.

But it became obvious very quickly that this community would embrace these Gulls with no names.

Indeed, with the exception of the veteran Charlie Simmer, there was not likely a player on the team anyone in the crowd could identify if he was occupying the same telephone booth . . . by name or face.

In fact, Mike O’Connell, the NHL veteran who has come in from the Detroit cold to coach this team, has done nothing to discourage continuing anonymity as his players prepared for their debut.

“It’s up to the players,” he said. “They have to prove themselves.”

In other words, let the fans choose their own favorites according to how the players perform. No hype here . . . and that’s kind of refreshing.

Of course, O’Connell could well have taken this stance because he really didn’t have any choice. He might not know for sure who the best of these guys might be, or even who some of these guys might be. After all, the Gulls had been together for all of 16 days of training camp and had played nary an exhibition game.

These weren’t guys who needed no introductions but rather guys who didn’t have enough time to get any.

O’Connell promised only that his guys would work hard, which may have been enough to pique interest hereabouts. San Diego hadn’t seen much of that all summer long.

The Gulls, in fact, upstaged the Padres before the game even started. The national anthem was splendidly sung by San Diego State senior Maria Lee Ostapiej, who happens to be the reigning Miss California. In remaking their image for a better and brighter 1991, the Padres might start with her.

And the crowd was as in tune with the game as Miss Ostapiej was with the national anthem. These people did not seem to need to be told that hockey is played in periods rather than quarters, offside has nothing to do with Burt Grossman and icing isn’t fattening.

These people came ready for hockey. Just give them the sport, and they’ll find their own heroes.

Who said San Diegans would not abandon their barbecues for a minor league sport associated more with walleyed pike and timber wolves?

Did anyone even notice that the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL drew only 5,730 for their season opener Thursday night?

Just watch. San Diego will do a major league job of supporting this minor league team. Just watch, NHL. And pay attention.