Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Pechanga Arena 3500 Sports Arena Blvd San Diego, CA 92110
Year Opened: 1966 Capacity: 12,920
Gulls in San Diego
The San Diego Gulls are members of the American Hockey League (AHL) and skate their home games at the 50+-year-old Pechanga Arena, known by locals as The Sports Arena. Built in 1966, the arena also hosts the NLL (box lacrosse) San Diego Seals. It is also home to other entertainment such as concerts, Disney on Ice, Harlem Globetrotters, and more. A busy and popular Kobey’s Swap Meet is held every weekend in the parking lot of the arena.
The team began operating in 2015 after relocating from Norfolk, VA. It is the sixth hockey team to play at the arena, the fifth with the name ‘Gulls.’ The hockey team’s parent club is the nearby NHL Anaheim Ducks, roughly an hour and a half drive away. This close distance makes player call-ups/downs relatively easy for the teams and players.
The Ontario Reign (about a two-hour drive) is the Gulls' biggest rivalry, though I’m guessing the newest team to the AHL, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, comes in a close second (a tad over a two-hour drive).
Although an older facility, the gameday staff, operations, and team put on an entertaining evening of hockey at Pechanga Arena.
Food & Beverage 4
The arena has a surprisingly vast number and variety of concessions, although they come with California prices. Be sure to walk the entire concourse before making your selection.
Pizza Port slices (cheese, pepperoni, jalapeno pepperoni, BBQ chicken) run $9 - $9.75. Arena Grill serves hot dogs, hamburgers, vegan sausages and burgers, chicken baskets, nachos, fries, etc. Nicolosi’s (Italian) sells meatball mac and cheese, 6” meatball hero, vegan mac and cheese ($13 - $18), as well as traditional fare and beverages.
Small kiosks include lemonade, mini donuts, hand-dipped corn dogs, caramel apples, yummy-looking frozen dipped bananas, and Dippin’ Dots.
Bottled sodas (Coca-Cola brands), water, iced tea, Monster Energy, and Powerade cost $6 - $7.
Several breweries and cocktail stands line the concourse. A Cutwater Cocktail Bar, Elysian Brewing Company, and Breitbard’s Tap Haus have vast selections of beers on tap and in cans (domestic and local craft). Local craft includes brews from Eppig, Golden Road, Karl Strauss, Kona, Pizza Port, Stone, and Elysian, and cost $18. Many stands have cocktails and wines ($16 - $18). On Fridays, Light the Lamp Lager by local Mason Ale Works is sold for $5 (+ service charge).
The Stella Artois Lounge is a premium entertainment area available for rent and/or membership and includes a posh bar and other VIP features.
The arena lacks tables to eat your purchased food. Instead, fans have to bring their refreshments to their seats.
Atmosphere 4
Although old, the arena serves the hockey team very well.
Two levels of average-width cushioned seats (without cup holders) make up the seating. Fans enter the middle of the seating area and walk up or down to their seats. The second level is about 15 steps up. No handrails are available for the top nine rows on either level. Those uneasy with steps should get seats in row nine as that’s the top row when walking in. Handicapped and wheelchair seating is available along the inner walkway. Every seat has a decent view of the action on the ice. Ushers have a puck-in-play sign and use them perfectly.
It’s a bit chilly; it IS an ice rink. A sweatshirt and jacket are needed. The music is acceptable; it’s loud enough to energize the crowd, but not painfully loud-- a welcome element in sports these days.
Closed captioning is not available. A suitably sized scoreboard hangs above center ice. It shows the game action video, the period, shots on goal, penalties and time left, and the score. Two small dot matrix boards are located above the seating area behind the goals.
Besides the game, other activities include chuck a puck, pee wee hockey, t-shirt toss, etc. Gulliver, a mascot dressed up as a seagull, roams the stands. When playing a team from Canada, the vocalist sings both the US and the Canadian anthem, and both countries’ flags hang from the rafters.
Neighborhood 4
The area directly surrounding the rink is bustling with shopping centers, and within just one to three miles, plenty of choices for eating, drinking, and merriment are available.
Ocean Beach Pier is just three miles from the venue and is where visitors can watch the surfers (or surf themselves), walk along the beach, swim, or sunbathe in the warmer months. Or stroll the neighborhood shops, restaurants, and brewpubs. It’s a great place to visit. Sea World San Diego is a little over two miles. Historic Old Town is just a mile away; both are worth visiting.
A plethora of places to eat and drink are within a few miles. We recommend the Long Story Irish Pub (though finding parking may be difficult), Phil’s BBQ, and Cochino de Barrio (Mexican). Within walking distance of the arena are staples like Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Chili’s, Broken Yolk, and Buffalo Wild Wings (though we do not recommend this Broken Yolk and BWW).
For the hop head, the go-to brewery for Gulls fans is Bay City Brewing, right across the parking lot. Plenty of other breweries are close by: Deft Brewing (European style brews), Stone Brewing (in Liberty Station – serves food), and if visiting Ocean Beach, check out Ocean Beach Brewery (serves food), Kilowatt Brewing, or Pizza Port (Brewpub). Many, many more are within five miles of the rink.
A Wyndham Garden Inn is across the street from Pechanga Arena, and a Ramada Inn is a block and a half away. Many other hotels with varied prices are within just a mile or two of Pechanga Arena, so pick your preference.
Sports fans can attend other games in the area during hockey season, including the NLL Seals. The University of San Diego is two to three miles from the arena. You may be able to catch a Toreros baseball, basketball, football, or other athletic games.
San Diego is a fantastic city to tour, so make a day or weekend of it when attending a Gulls game!
Fans 4
The Gulls fan base is strong. The fans get excited and loud when the Gulls score a goal and are even more energized when they think a fight is about to start or if a t-shirt is about to be tossed into the seating area.
Visitors will see multiple Gulls jersey designs in the stands and plenty of Anaheim Ducks gear too.
The Gulls average around 7K fans per game. Theme nights and weekends draw more fans to the arena.
Access 3
Getting to the arena is easy. It is right off the I-8 and I-5 Interstates in the Midway District of San Diego, a tad over a mile from Old Town San Diego and a little over three miles from the San Diego Airport. Plenty of parking is available in lots surrounding the venue for $15. The box office is on the north side of the building (Kurtz Street side). Getting out of the parking lot after a game is a mess. We recommend just hanging out for 20 minutes or more for a smoother, easier exit.
Public transportation is available and takes 30 – 45 minutes with multiple changes if coming from the airport. Check the San Diego MTS trip planner to see if this is an option from where you are. If not, Uber and Lyft drop-off and pickup are on the south side of the venue near the ARCO gas station and Chick-fil-A.
It is easy and painless to get through security and scanning of the ticket. Clear 12” x 6” x 12” stadium sports bags are allowed. Fans can walk the entire concourse.
Unfortunately, tickets are only available through AXS – an online ticket provider. Fans purchasing tickets at the box office must download the AXS app to their phone to get their tickets. The Gulls do not offer hardcopy tickets.
ADA seating is provided on the inner concourse surrounding the ice surface. The arena has sufficient restrooms for a hockey game, but they are tight, on the messy side, and have minimal room to maneuver (at least in the ladies).
Return on Investment 3
The Gulls provide an excellent game day experience even with beer prices ($18) being higher than the parking price ($15). But, if you go on a Friday, you can get a beer for $5.
The price of tickets varies based on the date and the opponent. They generally cost $22 - $54 (plus $5 - $12 fees).
Military and First Responders get discounted rates at all games. The team offers College Night games where students can purchase tickets for $15. And season tickets, mini-plans, and groups get discounted ticket prices. The Gulls offer many theme nights throughout the season, often with giveaways.
Food prices are high, but this is San Diego; visitors from out of town need to remember to pack a bit more of that legal tender when heading to this city.
Have a beer at Bay City Brewing (or another local brewery) before or after the game at half the price. If time and your location permit, consider using public transportation.
Extras 4
The one retired number hanging from the banners is #20 Willie O’Ree who played for the WHL (Western Hockey League San Diego Gulls in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Photos on the concourse walls portray famous events and entertainers who performed at Pechanga Arena over the years. It is definitely worth the effort to stroll the concourse looking at and reviewing these images.
The organization boasts a huge merchandise stand on the concourse with a huge variety of t-shirts, jerseys, hats and other memorabilia. It’s well worth perusing when walking the concourse.
The Gulls have several Special Jersey nights throughout the season. The game of this review was Bill Walton night, and the players wore nifty-looking tied-dyed jerseys.
Final Thoughts
The venue has a lot of history on display and is a throwback to an earlier time when arenas were designed to be functional fan facilities. The fan game day experience is memorable.
There’s been talk of building a new arena on the same site as the existing one. The proposition also includes an entertainment district (shops, dining, urban parks, etc.) and affordable housing. We’ll keep our eyes open for any progress on this proposal.
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