Goaltender Sakellaropoulos Signs with Gladiators

DULUTH, Ga. – The Atlanta Gladiators announced on Tuesday that the team has signed goaltender Alex Sakellaropoulos for the 2022-23 season. Sakellaropoulos is the seventh player and the first goaltender to sign with the Gladiators for the upcoming campaign. 

"Alex has had some good years in this league and we believe that he will help us win games this season," said Team President Jerry James. "We're all looking forward to getting him in Atlanta."

Sakellaropoulos, 28, appeared in 30 games with the Adirondack Thunder last season and posted a 10-17-1-0 record, 3.90 goals-against average, and .881 save percentage. The 6-foot-3, 201-pound goaltender made the most appearances of Adirondack's four netminders last season on a Thunder team that finished last in the entire ECHL with 58 points.

"He's a big goalie that fights for every puck," said Head Coach Jeff Pyle. "He's also a great teammate with the kind of work ethic that we all had last season. We're excited to see him with us."

The Tinley Park, Illinois native was stellar in a short stint during the 2020-21 season with the Wichita Thunder when he appeared in six games and earned a .934 save percentage. Sakellaropoulos has made starts with seven ECHL teams, including the Quad City Mallards, Jacksonville Icemen, Worcester Railers, Norfolk Admirals, Rapid City Rush, Wichita, and Adirondack. He also appeared in two American Hockey League games with the Springfield Thunderbirds in March of 2019 and recorded a 2.90 goals-against average with a .900 save percentage across the pair of contests. 

"I'm very excited to meet my teammates and to get things rolling down in Atlanta," commented Sakellaropoulos. "Let's bring the Glads back to the playoffs."

Prior to turning pro in 2017, Sakellaropoulos played four seasons at Union College at the NCAA Division I level. As a freshman in the 2013-14 season, the Midwesterner helped his club to an NCAA National Championship after earning a 4-2-2 record in the regular season to go along with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. Sakellaropoulos amassed a record of 40-22-13 in college and finished at Union with a career 2.54 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. 

Sakellaropoulos joins Tim Davison (D), Gabe Guertler (F), Eric Neiley (F), Hugo Roy (F), Cody Sylvester (F), and Derek Topatigh (D) as players to have signed with the Gladiators for 2022-23.