A familiar face is the newest bench boss of the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls.
Dave Manson was named the sixth head coach in franchise history, the team announced in a press release on Monday.
“After helping lead the Gulls to the playoffs last season, it was clear Dave made a big impact behind the bench,” said Anaheim Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek in the release. “Dave brings nearly 25 years of coaching experience, and he will help strengthen the standard of excellence and development we have established in San Diego as head coach.”
The 59-year-old Prince Albert product spent last season as an assistant with the Gulls helping the team make their first playoff appearance since the 2021-22 campaign. Under his guidance, San Diego boasted the eighth ranked penalty kill in the AHL at 83.5%.
Manson has previously spent time coaching in the WHL with the Lethbridge Hurricanes along with his hometown Prince Albert Raiders. He was also an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers for parts of three seasons helping Edmonton reach the Western Conference Final in 2022.
Originally drafted to the Chicago Blackhawks in 1985, Manson spent parts of 16 seasons in the NHL between Chicago, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Phoenix, Montreal, Dallas and Toronto. He finished with 390 points and the 13th most penalty minutes in NHL history with 2792. He is also one of three players to have his number retired by the Prince Albert Raiders alongside Mike Modano and Dan Hodgson.
