San Diego Gulls (1966-1974)
June 20, 2016
The original San Diego Gulls were a popular entry in the minor Western Hockey League in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The club was the brainchild of veteran San Diego sports booster Bob Breitbard, who oversaw construction of the San Diego Sports Arena in 1966 and owned both of its major tenants: the Gulls and the NBA’s San Diego Rockets. The Gulls were evicted from the Arena and disbanded in 1974 to make space for the major league San Diego Mariners of the World Hockey Association. The Gulls identity has subsequently been revived by three different San Diego minor league hockey clubs during the past half century.
