San Diego Gulls Turning Season Around with Four Wins in Five Games as Goalie Tomas Suchanek Named AHL Player of the Week

Twenty-year-old goaltender Tomas Suchanek has aided in the rebound for the San Diego Gulls, being named the AHL's Player of the Week

The San Diego Gulls have seemingly caught a current towards clearer skies after a putrid start to the season.

The AHL affiliate of the struggling Anaheim Ducks (1-9-0 in their last 10) has rattled off four wins in their past five starts during the month of December, including three straight wins on the road against Milwaukee (5-2 on Dec. 6) and Rockford (7-0 on Dec 8, 5-1 on Dec 9).

At the heart of the improbable comeback is 20-year-old goaltender Tomas Suchanek, who was named the AHL's Player of the Week for Dec 4-10th. 

Suchanek went 3-0 during the week with a sparkling 1.00 GAA, .961 SP, and one shutout. He'd stop 32 of 34 shots against the Admirals before blanking the IceHogs with 21 saves in the aforementioned 7-0 route, ending off the weekend with 21 saves on 22 shots against the same Rockford squad. 

The Czechia native is 4-0 on the season with a combined 1.99 GAA and .926 SP to his credit. Suchanek impressed Ducks brass during training camp, leading to an AHL contract with the Gulls on October 10th. 

In 2022-23 Suchanek put up 27 wins in 46 starts for the WHL's Tri-City Americans, being named a second-team All-Star. He would guide Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023 World Juniors, being voted into the tournament's all-star team. 

Anaheim will likely ride with the tandem of seasoned vet John Gibson and fellow young Czech Lukas Dostal, but Suchanek remains an attractive depth option and future challenger for NHL minutes in the stocked Ducks prospect pool.