The talk of the San Diego Jr. Gulls 10U A team is ... a jacket?

You bet your mascot it is.

An idea hatched by coach Dustin Moffat and team manager Melissa Tosczak is taking on a life of its own, and the Jr. Gulls players are brimming with enthusiasm over it.

The garment, constructed in - what else? - Jr. Gulls colors goes to the team's player of the game. In successive weeks the honor has added a $2 bill for good luck, a pair of sunglasses, a bow tie, and most recently a Gulls mascot head.

"We're adding to it every week," Moffat said. "The main thing is the kids are enjoying it. Melissa and I wanted to have something to honor the player of the game. The winner has it for the week."

Merging fun with competition succinctly sums up the steady approach of Moffat, who is in his first full season with the Jr. Gulls after making a cameo appearance as a coach last season.

"Every day is a good day for hockey," he said. "Everybody plays on my teams, I roll lines and D pairs. I want a puck moving, puck pressuring team that is creative. We let the kids use their skill sets."

Creative can mean a lot of things, especially at younger age levels, but no matter.

"I'm about competing and effort, but I love mistakes," Moffat added.

Lest you think Moffat snuck onto the ice with a whistle and wild ideas, consider the Alberta native played through junior hockey and has coached everything from Mites to Midgets in his home province.

"The reason I love mistakes is because you're going to get better, that's how you learn," he said. "If players are worried about mistakes they're going to hold their sticks tighter, they're not going to play to their abilities."

Moffat is seeing results, too. The 10U A team recently competed in a tournament at Colorado for AA and AAA teams and went 2-2. 

"The kids played great," he said. "Our losses were to two AAA teams. It was a great experience. We saw the Garden of the Gods (in Colorado Springs) and the B-52 (at the U.S. Air Force Academy)."

Moffat moved to San Diego last year after his sons went to the East Coast to play college lacrosse. His father has lived in San Diego for approximately 30 years, and his brother also lives in the area.

Yes, the weather has been a great fringe benefit, but being able to contribute to a game he loves in an environment he sees growing in the right direction has re-energized Moffat. 

"The Jr. Gulls have a good approach," he said. "(Hockey Director) Pierre Dufour and Dean Wilson have a good grasp of things, they're very level headed. It has been a great organization to be a part of because they try to do what's best for the kids and their families at every turn.

"The Jr. Gulls are working hard to keep kids involved in the game."

And offering such a unique postgame honor is just one way to keep them engaged and enjoying themselves. 

The roster includes: Austin Bassler, John Burns III, Lucas Carrier, William Flanagan, Simon Jak, Jaewon Kim, Remy Kuelker, Brayden Lotspeich, Trestles Man, Kelsey Pan, Chase Phillips, Luca Ricciardelli, Oliver Sanchez, Kyan Tosczak, Nhat Huy Tran, and Easton Wenzel.