Atlanta Acquires Lane from Adirondack

The Atlanta Gladiators announced Tuesday that they have traded the rights to forward Eric Neiley to the Adirondack Thunder in exchange for forward Phil Lane who has agreed to terms with the team for 2017-18 season.

Lane, 25, has spent most of his career in the AHL before collecting 16 points (10-6-16) with a plus-eight rating during an injury plagued 2016-17 campaign with the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. The former 2nd Round pick (181st overall) of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft skated his first four professional seasons in the AHL for the Portland Pirates and Springfield Falcons. In 218 AHL contests, the 6-foot-2, 203-pound forward amassed 48 points (26-22-48). His best season came during his rookie year in 2012-13 when the Rochester, NY native registered 22 points (14-8-22) and a plus-10 rating in 70 games played. Prior to the start of his professional career, Lane notched 107 points (50-57-107) in 171 games over three seasons in the OHL for the Brampton Battalion, where he also served as the team’s Alternate Captain his final year of 2011-12.

“Phil plays a heavy game and fills a right wing spot that we had available,” said Head Coach and General Manager of Hockey Operations Chuck Weber. “He can put up numbers at ECHL level and is a great penalty killer and role player at the AHL level. He drives hard to the net, protects the puck well and has good defensive zone awareness to go along with high character and work ethic.”

Neiley, 25, managed 66 points (34-32-66) in 108 games for Atlanta over two seasons. The forward set a career-high last year scoring 27 goals, which tied Team Captain Derek Nesbitt for first on the Gladiators goal-scoring list. The Dartmouth College product also appeared in seven AHL games for the Providence Bruins over the course of his first two years in professional hockey.

“Brad (Adirondack Head Coach Brad Tapper) and I know each other from being on the Rochester Americans (AHL) coaching staff last season and each knew we had a high-end player that requested a change of scenery right as we got to our respective new teams,” said Weber. “We are both coaches in new environments that will be looking to create their own cultures. Eric requested the opportunity to get closer to his family in the Northeast and I want to make sure we get players that want to be in Atlanta and will work towards playing meaningful games in the spring.”

The Atlanta Gladiators 15th anniversary season kicks off at the Infinite Energy Arena on Friday, October 20th against the Florida Everblades at 7:35 PM. For ticket package 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.

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