Gulls are gone!!!!!!!

[Hockeyfan26]

One of the most succesful minor league hockey franchises has folded. Why we had one of the highest attendence in the league?

[boing]

The San Diego Sports Arena aka I pay one center is 40 years old and is privately owned. I read in the Union Tribune a few years ago that there was talk the arena would be torn down and redeveloped. I have a hunch this is a precursor to an announcement that the arena is going to be torn down. San Diego State built an arena on campus a few years ago and I think they have taken a lot of the concert/family show business from the I pay one center. San Diego has lost its Arena Football and Indoor Soccer teams in the last year. I think the owners of the arena decided it wasn't worth it to keep it going just for hockey. It also wouldn't be worth upgrading, either. It's too small.

Sadly, San Diego wasn't chosen for an NHL or NBA expansion team when both leagues were expanding in the 90s. I don't think either league will expand much over the next decade. With no major team, no new arena. Sadly, I'm afraid the window for hockey in the forseeable future in San Diego may have closed.

[toad455]

The Greenville Growwwwl have also folded. With Texas & Cincinatti rejoining, the league will remain at 25 teams for the 2006-07 season.

[Cornacchia43]

Wow, thats just crazy. I remember playing against them when they came to Idaho. I liked that team. Thats too sad that they are gone. Their players were really nice and outgoing. Even though they were the opposing team, they were pretty good when they played against Idaho.

[aardvark]

You could see the handwriting on the wall when the Gulls lost their affiliation with Colorado. The owners of the Gulls (and the I pay one center) didn't want to foot the bill for an independent team in the ECHL so they just shut down the franchise. They even said that they could make more money in the building without hockey. Until a new arena is built (not likely anytime soon), professional hockey and hoops aren't going to happen in San Diego.

[BCRantzilla]

Isn't there even a 1500-2500 seater in the area? That could work for a lower level team.

[DawgsBooster2]

I'm late to the party, but one would think that if the iPayOne Center was too big, too old, too whatever that the Gulls could have worked something out with Cox Arena at SDSU. :shrug:

I'm still sad that they are gone.

[sportsguy12]

I'm late to the party, but one would think that if the iPayOne Center was too big, too old, too whatever that the Gulls could have worked something out with Cox Arena at SDSU. :shrug:

I'm still sad that they are gone.

though for the Gulls. Despite a large arena, they averaged like 6,000 and hit 10,000+ at different times during the season. I think it all came down to losing the affiliation with the Avs and having to foot a lot of the bills. I think af2 might have returned if the Gulls had stuck around. Without the two, I agree, that the arena's days are numbered. They did the same thing in New Haven, CT. Although there, the municipality (county I think) ran the arena. They kicked out the af2 and razed the building. It was a shame.

I don't know if Cox Arena can do ice. Anyone know?

[aardvark]

I don't think Cox Arena has equipment for ice--besides the floor area even with all the seats pushed back is not nearly large enough for anything close to regulation for an ice surface. Some day San Diego will get a large, modern arena. I hope I am alive to see it!