Trio of Forwards Rejoin Gladiators

DULUTH, Ga. – The Atlanta Gladiators announced Tuesday that they have signed forwards Luke Sandler, Alex Carrier and Todd Skirving to standard professional contracts.

“From the second I got to training camp last year, I loved it here,” said Sandler. “I feel this is the right spot and perfect fit for me, both on and off the ice, and I’m thrilled for the chance to have another good year in Atlanta.”

Sandler, 25, set career ECHL highs in goals (10), assists (12), points (22) and games played (65) with the Gladiators last season. The Chicago, IL native led Atlanta in penalty minutes with 190 and eight fighting majors. In total, the fourth-year pro has earned 25 points (12g, 13a) and 296 penalty minutes in 92 ECHL games for Brampton, Elmira, and Atlanta. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound forward has also notched 51 points (30g, 21a) and 236 penalty minutes in 80 career SPHL games with Evansville, Peoria, Louisiana and Knoxville.

“My game will never change as I will always bring physicality and standup for my teammates,” said Sandler. “However, I’m working really hard this offseason to add new elements to my game and be able to produce more in multiple facets to help this team take the next step towards a deep playoff run.”

Carrier, 27, returns to Atlanta where he amassed 10 points (3g, 7a) and 88 penalty minutes in 46 games last season, before being traded to the Allen Americans at the trade deadline. In 13 games with Allen, the 6-foot-2, 203-pound forward registered two assists and skated in two playoff games of the Americans’ first round loss to Idaho. Overall, during his six-year pro career, the St-Elzear, PQ native has secured 46 points (12g, 34a) and 422 penalty minutes in 230 ECHL games. Carrier played 18 games for the Albany Devils of the AHL from 2014-2016.

“I honestly did not expect to get traded last year, and now I have the opportunity to come back to where I want to be and am very excited to be a Gladiator again,” said Carrier. “We had a great collection of guys last season and after talking to Jeff (Pyle), I decided to return and be a part of what I think is a very special group.”

Skirving, 26, appeared in 44 games in the ECHL last season for Orlando, Utah and Atlanta and accumulated 15 points (7g, 8a). The Thunder Bay, ON native earned four points (1g, 3a) in 19 games with the Gladiators after they acquired the forward from the Utah Grizzlies on February 12th. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound center also appeared in all four of the Gladiators playoff contests. Prior to the start of his pro career, the second-year pro scored 51 points (19g, 32a) in 127 games for the NCAA’s Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

“I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to return to Atlanta,” said Skirving “I am eager to work with our new coaching staff, my teammates and our passionate fans as we embark on the new season ahead that comes with high expectations. We have to build on the foundation we laid last season to get where we want to be, which is winning a Kelly Cup.”

The 16th season of Atlanta Gladiators hockey begins at the Infinite Energy Arena on Friday, October 19th against the Greenville Swamp Rabbits 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 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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