It’s a West Coast match-up this Saturday in the FloHockey AHL Game of the Week (10 p.m. ET) when the Abbotsford Canucks host the San Diego Gulls.

San Diego went through an offseason overhaul aimed at adding proven experience. The Canucks, who have a new head coach in long-time NHL forward Manny Malhotra, feature exciting forward prospects Aatu Räty and Jonathan Lekkerimäki.

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The FloHockey AHL Game of the Week will stream live and free across FloHockey's social media platforms. See below for details on how and where to watch.

What You Need To Know About San Diego Vs. Abbotsford

Game Details

San Diego Gulls at Abbotsford Canucks, Saturday, 10 p.m. ET*

Where to Watch: Subscribers can continue to watch via FloHockey.tv or the FloSports app 

Free Streams: Follow the game across FloHockey's social channels including YouTube, Facebook and X. More details below.

Abbotsford Canucks - What To Watch For

After four games on the road to open their season, the Canucks play their home opener tonight against the Gulls as the clubs open a two-game set. They are 2-1-0-1 after splitting a pair of games last weekend at Colorado. Tonight’s game is the first of four straight at the Abbotsford Centre. The Canucks will then go back out on the road next weekend, starting with a pair of games in San Diego.

Lekkerimäki has yet to dress for a game this season, but he has participated in practice this week. The 20-year-old forward was the SHL rookie of the year last season with Örebro after posting 19-12-31 in 46 games. He went to the Vancouver Canucks 15th overall in the 2022 NHL Draft and also appeared in six regular-season games at the end of last season for Abbotsford in a test drive for this fall. Räty had 18-34-52 in playing all 72 of Abbotsford’s games last season.

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— Abbotsford Canucks (@abbycanucks) October 21, 2024

Taking over behind the Abbotsford bench this season is Malhotra, who played 18 pro seasons. A former Vancouver assistant coach, he had spent the past four seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant to Sheldon Keefe before going west for the Abbotsford job.

San Diego Gulls - What To Watch For

With head coach Matt McIlvane back for his second season, the Gulls are trying to re-establish a winning habit after not qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs in back-to-back years. Anaheim Ducks management went out and added experienced scorer Ryan Carpenter as well as defensemen Dillon Heatherington and Roland McKeown to strengthen their back end. Six of San Diego’s top eight scorers last season are now elsewhere.

They picked up their first win of the season in their most recent outing, taking a 3-2 decision in overtime at Bakersfield. This stop in Abbotsford continues a five-game trip for the Gulls that will conclude next week at Calgary. After finishing 28th in the league last season on the road, they are in an early stretch of eight of 10 games on the road.

Rookie forward Sam Colangelo, a 2020 second-rounder, is off to a 2-2-4 start for the Gulls. Pavol Regenda, who represented Slovakia at the IIHF World Championship this past spring, leads San Diego with 1-4-5.

Vancouver Canucks Prospects To Watch From Chris Peters

Jonathan Lekkerimäki, RW

Lekkerimäki is the Canucks' top prospect, but has missed the first two weeks with an apparent illness. According to reports out of Vancouver, he has been practicing with Abbotsford again and may be in the lineup at some point this weekend. If he is, it will be his first real game since he ended last season with a six-game stint with Abbotsford during which he had two points. 

Lekkerimäki had a breakout season in 2023-24 after a down season the year prior. He had 31 points in the SHL and was also the MVP of the 2024 World Junior Championship. While he'll need some time to get up to speed, this whenever he's ready to play again, he'll have a lot of eyes on him.

Aatu Räty, C

After making Vancouver's opening-night roster, Räty was sent back to Abbotsford after a few games. The 21-year-old Finn is right on the cusp of being a full-timer it seems. There's still a little more for him to learn, though. Getting more ice time in the AHL is going to help that. Räty got three games with Vancouver this season so far and has one assist. During the 202-24 campaign, he played exclusively in Abbotsford and had 52 points in 72 games. 

Elias Pettersson, D

No, not that one. In any other organization, Elias Pettersson the defenseman likely wouldn't need that clarification, but with the Canucks it's unavoidable. Here's the thing, though. The defenseman has really become an intriguing prospect within the Vancouver system. Through four games with Abbotsford this season, he has two assists, matching the same total he had in eight AHL contests last season after joining the team in the spring. Pettersson is big, he's mobile and he's gaining confidence.

Anaheim Ducks Prospects To Watch From Chris Peters

Sam Colangelo, C/W

Colangelo turned heads with his performance in the NHL preseason and was making a case to stick. He was ultimately sent back to the AHL and has been a point-per-game player through four games. The former Northeastern and Western Michigan standout got three games with the Ducks last season and even scored his first NHL goal. Now with the Gulls, he's getting his reps in pro hockey and excelling as a go-to offensive player.

Yegor Sidorov, LW

Selected in the third round in 2023 as a re-entry player, Sidorov is in his first professional season after a strong showing over three seasons with the Saskatoon Baldes. A 50-goal scorer in the WHL last season, Sidorov is showing that he's making the transition to pro hockey look fairly easy. The Belarusian is only 20 years old but has good strength and good touch on the puck. His first two pro goals came last Saturday in a 3-2 OT win over Bakersfield.

Nathan Gaucher, C

A physical presence with size, Gaucher was selected 22nd overall in 2022. Now in his second AHL season, the expectation is for him to start finding the net a bit more. He was never a world-beater offensively even in junior hockey, but last season had just 25 points in 72 games. Gaucher is not going to be the guy that the Ducks are going to lean on for points, but a more productive year in the AHL will show some important progression as he takes more steps to be part of the young core building in Anaheim, even if he's likely to be more of a depth player at the next level.

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On YouTube

On Saturday nights throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on YouTube. The home team's broadcast will be shared as a free stream on FloHockey's YouTube page. The free broadcast will begin shortly before puck drop. Check FloHockey and AHL social channels to see which game will be streaming each week.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On X

On Saturday nights throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on X (formerly known as Twitter). The home team's broadcast will be shared as a free stream on FloHockey's Twitter page. The free broadcast will begin shortly before puck drop, posted on FloHockey's X feed. Check FloHockey and AHL social channels to see which game will be streaming each week.

WATCH HERE

How To Watch AHL Free Stream On Facebook

On Saturday nights throughout the season, the AHL and FloHockey will present a free Game of the Week on Facebook. You can access the game multiple ways on the Facebook. FloHockey will stream both home and road (if available) broadcasts on its Facebook page. The game can also be found live on the AHL's Facebook page.

WATCH HERE

When Does The AHL Season Start in 2024?

The season begins on Oct. 11, 2024 with the Milwaukee Admirals traveling to the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 p.m. EDT and the Syracuse Crunch traveling to the Utica Comets at the same time. 

There are a total of 29 games over the opening weekend. 

How To Watch The AHL On FloHockey 

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