Leading the Way for the San Diego Gulls Hockey Club.
Professional hockey in San Diego has a rich history, dating back to the San Diego Skyhawks of the Pacific Coast Hockey League in 1944. Since then, San Diego has been home to several professional teams and leagues, with The San Diego Gulls taking to the ice in 2015. One of seven teams in the American Hockey League’s recently created Pacific Division, the San Diego Gulls concluded the 2015-16 earned second place in the Pacific Division and fifth in the Western Conference. Continuing on their growth and successes, San Diego Gulls Hockey Club recently welcomed the new President of Business Operations, Matt Savant. A proud father of three children and with the loving support of his wife, Savant serves as the primary liaison for the affiliation between the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks and the San Diego Gulls, as well as oversee all business operations in San Diego.
Prior to joining the Gulls, Savant spent 13 years in various marketing, fan development and brand management with the Anaheim Ducks. Under his direction, the Ducks S.C.O.R.E. (Scholastic Curriculum Of Recreation & Education) and G.O.A.L. (Growth, Outreach, Awareness, Locally) programs were launched with the goal of making a positive impact with youth in local schools and hockey communities throughout Southern California.
The S.C.O.R.E. program uses the sport of hockey to teach educational themes, encourage healthy and active living, reinforces the importance of positive character building and rewards youth for their dedication to pursuing academic excellence. Through its initiatives, the Ducks have contributed to the educational landscape while impacting nearly 30,000 students annually.
The G.O.A.L. program is a grass-roots initiative created to develop community-based projects that promote and educate local youth about the sport of hockey and to continue the development of hockey in Southern California by creating new ways for interested youth to learn about the sport through programs at partner rinks, local participating elementary schools and the “Mini One-on-One” tournament, designed to test the skills of local youth hockey players.
The G.O.A.L. program also assists in NHL and USA Hockey’s “Hockey Weekend Across America,” taking place nationwide once a year, inviting youth and their families a free education on skating and hockey at partner rinks.
