Akim Aliu Returns to Atlanta

The Atlanta Gladiators announced Saturday that the team has acquired defenseman Akim Aliu from the Rapid City Rush in exchange for defenseman Corey Syvret and a future consideration.

Aliu, 27, rejoins the Gladiators after spending 16 games with the team during the 2010-11 season, when he amassed 12 goals and eight assists in that time. The eighth year pro adds veteran experience to the team with seven career NHL games and over 200 AHL contests. During his stint in the NHL, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound defenseman tallied three points for the Calgary Flames. Over the course of six seasons in the AHL, the former OHL standout earned 71 points for eight different teams. The former 2nd Round pick (56th overall) of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007 has skated in 65 games in the ECHL registering 60 points.

The Atlanta Gladiators 14th season continues at the Infinite Energy Arena TONIGHT against the Florida Everblades at 7:05 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". -###-