The Long Beach Ice Dogs are an ice hockey team in the ECHL, a "AA" hockey league that operates in North America. The Ice Dogs have come a long way, the franchise was originally based in San Diego. Known as the San Diego Gulls, the team played in the now defunct International Hockey League from 1990 - 1995 when the team moved north to become the Los Angeles Ice Dogs. After two seasons and horrible attendance, the team was on the move again, this time to Long Beach, California where they retained the "Ice Dogs" name. In 1999 the teams owner seeing that the end was near for the IHL withdrew the team from the league and moved it to the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL). Sadly the WCHL fell victim to instability just like the IHL and had declared it's intent to dissolve. Fortunately the ECHL, wanting to extend it's reach to the west agreed to merge with the WCHL after the 2002-03 season and accept all six of it's remaining teams as members, Long Beach included.