Gulls Seek Affiliation With Ducks

The general manager of the San Diego Gulls, a highly successful minor league team in the International Hockey League, is hoping birds of a feather stick together.

With the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in place for the 1993-94 NHL season, San Diego GM Don Waddell plans to pursue a deal with the Walt Disney Co. that would make the Gulls Anaheim’s primary minor league affiliate.

“The geographic location would be a major benefit for them,” said Waddell, whose Gulls have the best record (48-5-6) in all of minor hockey. “If their team has injuries and needs players, being 80 miles away will make it a lot easier to get them. They’ll also have the opportunity to watch their young players developing.”

Waddell is not interested in a full affiliation, in which Anaheim would provide all 24 players on the Gulls’ roster. San Diego’s current roster is a blend of veterans with NHL experience and young players, and Waddell wants to retain the rights to choose at least a dozen of his players.

“If they want to place 10-12 players in this city and have us fill out the rest of the roster, we’d be very interested in that,” Waddell said. “We have a good thing going here--we have great ownership and fan support. We wouldn’t be totally dependent on an affiliation, but it makes so much sense for us to be connected with Anaheim.”

The average age on the Gulls’ roster is 28--the oldest in the International Hockey League--and the team boasts such NHL veterans as Lindy Ruff, Scott Arniel, Tony McKegney and goalie Clint Malarchuk. Combined, the Gulls have 4,000 NHL games of experience, one reason the team is so successful.

If the Gulls join forces with the Mighty Ducks, San Diego’s roster would include a dozen or so young developmental players who are on the verge of playing in the NHL. Waddell would like to pattern his organization after the Atlanta Knights, who are the Tampa Bay Lightning’s primary affiliate in the International Hockey League.

The bulk of the Knights’ players are property of Tampa Bay, but Atlanta also has several free agents. The Knights have the second-best record (39-16-4) in the IHL behind San Diego.

“The reason I was thinking about this is the success Atlanta is having,” Waddell said. “It’s working for them.”