Gladiators Bolster D-Core with Signing of Two Rookies

DULUTH, Ga. – The Atlanta Gladiators announced Wednesday that they have signed rookie defensemen Joe Gatenby and Jack Stander.

Gatenby, 20, just completed a five-year Major Junior career in the WHL. The Kelowna, BC native joins Atlanta after setting career-highs this season in goals (13), assists (46) and points (59) while also earning a plus-13 rating in 72 games for the Kamloops Blazers. In 317 WHL contests for Kelowna and Kamloops, the 6-foot, 192-pound defender posted 141 points (25-116-141) and a plus-84 rating. Gatenby also has accumulated five points (2-3-5) in 58 WHL playoff games including helping the Rockets win the WHL Championship and a Memorial Cup appearance in 2014-15.

Stander, 23, recently finished a four-year college stint at the NCAA’s Canisius College. The 6-foot-2, 194-pound D-man netted a career high in goals with three along with 10 points in 37 games during his senior season this year. The Grosse Pointe Woods, MI native registered 29 points (6-23-29) in 137 career games for the Golden Griffins. Prior to his collegiate career, Stander skated in 55 USHL games for the Sioux Falls Stampede where he engineered nine points (1-8-9).

Atlanta Gladiators Player Movement Driven by Vanarama “The New Way to Get a Brand New Vehicle.”

The Atlanta Gladiators 15th Anniversary season continues at the Infinite Energy Arena Wednesday March 28th against the Kalamazoo Wings 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 10,867-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".

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