Duluth, GA – The Atlanta Gladiators announced live on the team’s YouTube channel Thursday evening that the club has re-signed defenseman Brenden Datema for the 2025-26 season.
Datema re-signs with the Gladiators for his third season in Atlanta, where he has spent his entire professional career since his pro debut in March of 2024. The 26-year-old defenseman first signed with the Gladiators late in the 2023-24 season and played 12 games with the team, notching two assists. Last season, Datema scored 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points in 48 games with the Gladiators in his first full season as a pro, scoring his first professional goal on January 5th, 2025, vs the Savannah Ghost Pirates.
The native of Sterling Heights, MI, played five seasons of NCAA Division I hockey prior to turning pro, spending three at Michigan Tech and two at Canisius College. Standing at 6’5”, 220 pounds, the physical blue liner scored 3 goals and 20 assists in 100 career games with the Huskies and Golden Griffins.
Datema was a standout defenseman during his final year of junior hockey with the Amarillo Bulls of the NAHL, leading the league in scoring among defensemen during the 2018-19 season with 21 goals and 39 assists for 60 points in 58 games.
Gladiators Director of Hockey Operations and Head Coach, Matt Ginn, said "Brenden plays a very physical style and uses his big frame effectively. He is hard to play against, and we expect that to continue. He is a well-liked teammate that will do whatever is needed to win. We're excited to bring Brenden back for another season."
The Gladiators are announcing player signings LIVE on the Atlanta Gladiators YouTube channel! Click HERE to watch. Subscribe for exclusive content and stay up to date with the latest signings as the 2025-26 roster takes shape with live announcements on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 PM EST.
The 2025-26 season schedule is HERE! Season ticket packages are now available, for more information on ticket packages call our ticketing department at (770) 497-5100 or visit https://atlantagladiators.com/tickets/season-tickets.
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