| Atlanta Gladiators | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Duluth, Georgia |
| League | ECHL |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | South |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Home arena | Gas South Arena |
| Colors | Navy blue, gold, light blue |
| Owner(s) | ATL Hockey Group, LLC Alex Campbell (majority) andAnson Carter (minority)[1] |
| Head coach | Matt Ginn |
| Media | ECHL.TV (Internet) 680 The Fan |
| Affiliates | Nashville Predators (NHL) Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) |
| Website | atlantagladiators |
| Franchise history | |
| 1995–2002 | Mobile Mysticks |
| 2003–2015 | Gwinnett Gladiators |
| 2015–present | Atlanta Gladiators |
| Championships | |
| Division titles | 3 (2005–06,2011–12,2012–13) |
| Conference titles | 1 (2005–06) |
 Current season | |
TheAtlanta Gladiators are a professionalminor leagueice hockey team based inDuluth, Georgia. The Gladiators play in the South Division of theECHL's Eastern Conference. They play their home games atGas South Arena, approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast ofAtlanta.
The franchise originated as theMobile Mysticks in1995. They suspended operations in 2002 and moved to Duluth in2003 where they were originally known as theGwinnett Gladiators. In 2015, they changed their name to the Atlanta Gladiators.[2] They were the South Division and American Conference champions in2006, falling four-games-to-one to theAlaska Aces in theKelly Cup finals.
The franchise originated as theMobile Mysticks who played inMobile, Alabama, from 1995 to 2002. It suspended operations in 2002 due to declining attendance. After a year off, Toby Jeffreys, the owner of the Mysticks, relocated his franchise toGwinnett County, Georgia, in2003 and was rebranded the Gwinnett Gladiators. He then sold minority stakes of the franchise to local business owners to create Gwinnett County Hockey, LLC.[3]Jeff Pyle—who served as the Mysticks' head coach starting in 1998—returned to the franchise for their first season.
The Gladiators made an appearance in the2006Kelly Cup Finals, losing to theAlaska Aces in five games.
On July 13, 2011, Pyle was named head coach of theAmerican Hockey League'sTexas Stars.[4] The Gladiators announced on August 3, 2011, thatJohn Wroblewski, former assistant coach for theWheeling Nailers, had been selected to take Pyle's place as the team's head coach. The Gladiators won theECHL South Division in the two years of Wrobelski's tenure.[5]
On August 7, 2013, Wroblewski was hired by the AHL'sRochester Americans as an assistant coach. Rick Emmett, a former defenseman for the Gladiators, took over as head coach.[6]
Emmett was relieved of his duties as head coach on December 2, 2014. At the time, assistant coach, and former Gladiator captain, Andy Brandt was named the interim head coach.[7] Brandt would remain the interim head coach through the remainder of the 2014–15 season before being named to head coach on March 21, 2015.[8] FormerValpellice Bulldogs head coach Mike Flanagan also joined the coaching staff in December 2014, serving as the team's assistant coach.[9]
Following the 2014–15 season, the Gladiators became the affiliate of theBoston Bruins and their AHL affiliate, theProvidence Bruins.[10] On September 9, 2015, the Gladiators organization announced that they would be known as the Atlanta Gladiators to expand their brand to include the entireAtlanta metropolitan area.[11] As part of the name change, the Gladiators updated their “primary” and “wordmark” logos to reflect the Atlanta designation. The rest of the Gladiators logos remained the same, as did the team colors.[12]
After two seasons as head coach, Andy Brandt left to take the associate coaching position withSt. Norbert College in 2017. The Gladiators would then hire two-time Kelly Cup winning coachChuck Weber as his replacement.[13]
During the2017–18 season, the franchise was purchased by Virginia-based ownership group called Danor Vienna LLC, headed by real estate developer P. Daniel Orlich.[14] Head coach Weber left after one season to take an assistant coaching position withRensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) NCAA Div. I men's team in order to be closer to home.[15]Jeff Pyle was then brought back as head coach and general manager after leaving for the AHL in 2011.[16][17]
In 2019, the Gladiators updated their primary colors from garnet and black to navy blue and gold.[18]
On October 1, 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic the Gladiators enacted the ECHL's COVID-19 voluntary suspension policy and opted out of playing in the2020–21 season.[19][20] The team announced they would return to play in the 2021–22 season.
Prior to the start of the 2022–23 season on October 19, 2022, ownership of the team was transferred to ATL Hockey Group, LLC, led by businessman Alex Campbell with former NHL player andNHL on TNT commentatorAnson Carter holding a minority stake.[1] On November 7, 2022, the Gladiators unveiled plans to take on the identity of the formerAtlanta Thrashers for a single game on December 16 against theGreenville Swamp Rabbits.[21]
On June 6, 2023, the Gladiators announced former team captainDerek Nesbitt as the sixth head coach in team history.Jeff Pyle, who had served as the team's head coach for the previous four seasons, was promoted to Director of Hockey Operations for the club.[22]
On May 7, 2025, the Gladiators announced assistant coach Matt Ginn as the seventh head coach in team history, as well as Director of Hockey Operations for the club.Derek Nesbitt, who had served as the team's head coach for the previous two seasons, was promoted to Director of Community Engagement for the club.[23]
The Gladiators served as the ECHL affiliate of theNHL'sAtlanta Thrashers and theirAHL affiliateChicago Wolves from their inception in 2003 until 2011, when the Thrashers franchise moved toWinnipeg and the Gladiators ended their affiliation with the franchise. The team also served as an affiliate for theChicago Blackhawks during the2008–09 season and for theColumbus Blue Jackets during the2009–10 season.[24][25]
On August 17, 2011, the Gladiators announced their affiliation with thePhoenix Coyotes and thePortland Pirates for the2011–12 season.[26] They later announced an affiliation agreement with theBuffalo Sabres, and their AHL affiliate, theRochester Americans.[27] That affiliation lapsed at the end of the 2011–12 season, leaving the Gladiators affiliated exclusively with Phoenix for the2012–13 season.[28] The Gladiators would carry that affiliation through the end of the 2014–15 season.
On August 6, 2015, the Gladiators announced a two-year affiliation deal with theBoston Bruins and their AHL affiliate, theProvidence Bruins.[10] In February 2017, the Gladiators and Bruins extended their affiliation for another two seasons[29] and then added fifth season for 2019–20.[30] In 2021, the Bruins switched their ECHL affiliation to theMaine Mariners and the Gladiators affiliated with theOttawa Senators.[31]
On August 25, 2022, the Gladiators became the ECHL affiliate for the Arizona Coyotes for the second time.[32]
On June 6, 2023, the Gladiators became the ECHL affiliate for the NHL'sNashville Predators and AHL'sMilwaukee Admirals.[33]
| Regular season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | Standing | Year | Wild Card Round Conf. 1st round (2006–08)§ | 1st round Conf. Quarterfinals | 2nd round Conf. Semifinals | 3rd round Conf. Finals | Kelly Cup |
| 2003–04 | 72 | 42 | 22 | 0 | 8 | 92 | 248 | 193 | 3rd, Central | 2004 | No WC game in Western Conf. | W, 3–2,MIS | W, 3–1,LOU | L, 1–3,IDA | — |
| 2004–05 | 72 | 40 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 88 | 241 | 202 | 3rd, South | 2005 | — | W, 3–1,MIS | L, 1–3,CHR | — | — |
| 2005–06 | 72 | 50 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 107 | 304 | 208 | 1st, South | 2006 | BYE | W, 3–0,SC | W, 3–1,FLA | W, 4–1,TOL | L, 1–4,AK |
| 2006–07 | 72 | 41 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 89 | 289 | 256 | 3rd, South | 2007 | BYE | L, 1–3,TX | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | 72 | 44 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 93 | 247 | 198 | 3rd, South | 2008 | W, 3–0,CHR | L, 2–3,SC | — | — | — |
| 2008–09 | 72 | 31 | 35 | 1 | 5 | 68 | 214 | 246 | 4th, South | 2009 | — | L, 1–4,FLA | — | — | — |
| 2009–10 | 72 | 31 | 33 | 5 | 3 | 70 | 243 | 277 | 4th, South | 2010 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2010–11 | 72 | 30 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 68 | 203 | 250 | 4th, South | 2011 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2011–12 | 72 | 41 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 93 | 214 | 200 | 1st, South | 2012 | — | L, 1–3,SC | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | 72 | 43 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 89 | 211 | 191 | 1st, South | 2013 | — | W, 4–0,SC | L, 2–4,CIN | — | — |
| 2013–14 | 72 | 29 | 38 | 3 | 2 | 63 | 203 | 227 | 5th, South | 2014 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2014–15 | 72 | 20 | 45 | 3 | 4 | 47 | 174 | 263 | 7th, East | 2015 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2015–16 | 72 | 34 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 75 | 189 | 224 | 4th, South | 2016 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2016–17 | 72 | 27 | 37 | 6 | 2 | 62 | 234 | 278 | 6th, South | 2017 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2017–18 | 72 | 32 | 35 | 2 | 3 | 69 | 205 | 229 | 4th, South | 2018 | — | L, 0–4,FLA | — | — | — |
| 2018–19 | 72 | 31 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 73 | 197 | 211 | 5th, South | 2019 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2019–20 | 61 | 29 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 62 | 200 | 230 | 4th, South | 2020 | — | Season cancelled | |||
| 2020–21 | Opted out of participating due to theCOVID-19 pandemic | 2021 | did not participate | ||||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 72 | 43 | 24 | 4 | 1 | 91 | 220 | 198 | 2nd, South | 2022 | — | L, 0–4,JAX | — | — | — |
| 2022–23 | 72 | 35 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 91 | 226 | 240 | 6th, South | 2023 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2023–24 | 72 | 23 | 45 | 3 | 1 | 50 | 187 | 264 | 7th, South | 2024 | — | Did not qualify | |||
| 2024–25 | 72 | 28 | 35 | 7 | 2 | 65 | 188 | 248 | 6th, South | 2025 | — | Did not qualify | |||
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