Glads, Bahntge Agree to Terms

Forward Daniel Bahntge and the Atlanta Gladiators have agreed to terms for the 2016-2017 season, the team announced Thursday.Bahntge (pronounced BAN-sha) returns for his third season with the Gladiators, after missing much of 2015-2016 with an injury. In 28 games played with Atlanta last year, the Westlake, Ohio native tallied four goals and eleven assists for 15 total points. Injured in late December during a game against Greenville, Bahntge would have been ready to return to the roster for a Gladiators playoff run. For Bahntge, it was a devastating injury, said Gladiators Head Coach Andy Brandt, and for us as a hockey team as well. He was coming on strong before he was injured, and recovery was something that he battled through to get back as soon as he could. If we had made the playoffs he was going to be inserted back into the line-up immediately. Bahntge first joined the Gladiators in March of 2015 after wrapping up his senior season with the Mercyhurst Lakers. He would appear in eight games with Atlanta, tallying two goals and three assists before the end of the season. The 25 year old was Mercyhursts leading scorer in his senior season, notching nearly a point per game (13g, 23a in 39 gp). Overall, Bahntge scored 52 goals and 75 assists in 161 collegiate games played. Were talking about a guy who brings work ethic every day, hes a detailed player, and he goes about his business in a professional manner, said Brandt. Hes versatile. Hes a guy who can play on the top line because he has the skill to do so, but he has the energy and the competitiveness of a player who might be on the second or third line. Hes just an all-around good hockey player and we look to put him in several different rolls. The Atlanta Gladiators 14th season kicks off at the Infinite Energy Arena on Friday, October 14th against the Toledo Walleye at 7:35 PM. For ticket information, visit the official team website at www.atlantagladiators.com or call the main office line at 770-497-5100.The Gladiators are members of the ECHL, the nations premier AA hockey league. All home games are played at the 11,355-seat Infinite Energy Arena, located just off I-85 on Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth where parking is always free. The Gladiators have established an unrivaled commitment to excellence, maintaining a distinctive reputation for affordable and family-friendly sports entertainment and consistently ranked as one of the top Things To Do in the Atlanta area and across the North Georgia region.For all the latest team news, contests, and more visit AtlantaGladiators.com, or like the Gladiators on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AtlantaGladiators), follow the team on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ATLGladiators), Instagram (www.instagram.com/atlgladiators) or Snapchat (www.snapchat.com) at gladshockey . -###-