Gladiators Acquire Shane Bakker

The Gladiators have acquired the rights to forward Shane Bakker from the Wheeling Nailers in exchange for future considerations, the team announced on Wednesday.Bakker, 28, comes to Atlanta after spending at least part of the past three seasons with Wheeling. In 116 games with the Nailers, the Navan, Ontario native has amassed 10 goals and 30 assists for 40 points, along with 235 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound forward has also spent time in the American Hockey League with the Hamilton Bulldogs and St. John's IceCaps. In 15 games with Hamilton during the 14-15 season, Bakker notched one assist and 37 PIMs, while acquiring one goal and 46 PIMs with St. John's in 15-16."Bakker is someone who plays with a lot of energy and a lot of toughness," said Gladiators Head Coach Andy Brandt. "He's solid on the forecheck and he'll finish every hit. Those attributes coupled with his AHL experience lend themselves to the leadership role we're envisioning for Shane this season."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 nation’s 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". -###-