Duluth, GA – A journey that began back in October has come to a close, as the 2025-26 season for the Atlanta Gladiators has reached its end. Filled with unforgettable moments and a return to the postseason, the 22^nd season of Gladiators hockey did not disappoint.

Led by Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations, Matt Ginn, and Assistant Coach, Zach Vinnell, the Gladiators posted a record of 44-23-4-1 with 93 points. This marked the team’s highest win total since the 2007-08 season and the highest point total since the 2011-12 season.  

The goaltending duo of second year pro, Ethan Haider, and rookie phenom, T.J. Semptimphelter led the way between the pipes, as the Gladiators goaltending was a staple of their game and one of the root causes for their success. 

In his second season in Atlanta, Haider finished with a record of 24-11-2 with a 2.48 GAA, a .920 SV%, and 1 shutout. His 24 wins were the 4^th most in the ECHL, and the 3^rd most by a Gladiators goaltender in a single season. His 41 wins as a member of the Gladiators now puts him in 3^rd place in the franchise’s all-time wins list. 

Semptimphelter quickly put the league on notice, winning his first four starts with the Gladiators and pitched a 25 save shutout of the Florida Everblades in Estero on October 24^th. The rookie netminder represented the Gladiators at the 2026 ECHL All-Star Classic in Allen, TX and was named the ECHL’s Goaltender of the Month in December. Semptimphelter finished his rookie season with a record of 20-12-2-1, with a 2.28 GAA, a .917 SV%, and 1 shutout. He was named to the 2025-26 ECHL All-Rookie Team, becoming the first Gladiators goaltender to receive the honor.

Haider (24) and Semptimphelter (20) became the first Gladiators goaltending duo to each record 20+ wins in a single season. 

Chad Nychuk had a season for the ages with 8 goals and 45 assists for 53 points with a +17 rating in 66 games. Nychuk’s 53 points led team defensemen and were the second most on the team behind only Alex Young (59). His 45 assists were the most in a single season by a Gladiators defenseman in franchise history. Nychuk’s stellar play on the back end both offensively and defensively earned himself ECHL First-Team honors, becoming just the 4^th defenseman in franchise history and 9^th player overall to be named to the team. 

Brendan Less was reliable on the blue line for the Gladiators, finishing the season with 4 goals and 14 assists for 18 points and a +26 rating in 57 games. Less’ +26 rating was the third best plus/minus in a single season for a Gladiators skater in franchise history. For much of the season, the defensive pairing of Less and Ryan Conroy was the Gladiators’ most consistent, as Conroy finished with 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points and a +6 rating in 67 games. 

Four skaters recorded career highs in points, as Chad Nychuk (8g, 45a, 53pts), Alex Young (27g, 32a, 59pts), Joey Cipollone (17g, 20a, 37pts), and Jack O’Brien (28g, 23a, 51pts – 11g and 11a came with Iowa) soared to career marks. Alex Young led the Gladiators in multi-point games (14) and multi-goal games (6).

The Gladiators’ 2025-26 rookie class also excelled, with Isak Walther leading the way. Walther led all Atlanta rookies in scoring with 23 goals and 20 assists for 43 points; and was 2^nd among league rookies in game winning goals with 7. Of the 209 goals scored by the Gladiators in the 2025-26 season, 67 were scored by rookies with 9 different players scoring their first professional goal with the Gladiators.

Gladiators Captain, Cody Sylvester, announced his retirement after thirteen seasons of professional hockey. He served as an alternate captain for three seasons beginning in the 2022-23 season before being named captain for the 2025-26 season. Sylvester finished the campaign with 19 goals and 26 assists for 45 points in 71 games. Over the course of his professional career, Sylvester scored 254 goals and 317 assists for 571 points in 694 games.

In 303 career games over five seasons with the Gladiators, Sylvester racked up 120 goals and 147 assists for 267 points, and is 2nd in goals, 4th in assists, and 3rd in points in the franchise’s history. He is also one of just four players to have appeared in 300+ games with the team. Sylvester supplied Gladiators nation with many memories over the years, including setting the franchise’s single season goals record with 38 goals in the 2022-23 season and being named to the 2023 ECHL 2nd All-Star Team. His 24 game winning goals are the second most in franchise history behind only Derek Nesbitt (27).

The Gladiators’ strong structure and team defense paved the way for their first playoff berth in four years, as the team allowed 2.54 goals against per game – the 5^th lowest figure in the ECHL. The team finished 17^th in the ECHL on the power play (17.9%) and 14^th on the penalty kill (81.9%), with controlling the game at 5 v 5 their biggest strength. Atlanta liked to open games with the first goal and control play - having scored first in 38 out of 72 games (52.7%), with a record of 31-5-1-1 when they did so. To put this season’s numbers into perspective, the Gladiators scored first in just 29 out of 72 games in the 2024-25 season (40.3%) and had a record of 19-7-2-1 when doing so. 

Gas South Arena was a fortress for the Gladiators, posting a record of 24-9-2-1 on home ice. Atlanta’s 24 home wins were tied for the 4^th most in the ECHL and were tied for the 3^rd most in the Eastern Conference. Head Coach Matt Ginn was the runner up to Kansas City’s Tad O’Had for ECHL Coach of the Year.  

The Gladiators tended to start out with low scoring first periods and was a part of 18 first periods ending in a scoreless tie this season. The Gladiators held their opponents scoreless in the first period 32 times but were also held without a goal in the first period 37 times this season. The second and third periods were the Gladiators best scoring periods this season, outscoring their opponents 77-58 in the second period and 74-67 in the final frame. The Gladiators took the most shots in the second period, with 653 in the first, 730 in the second, and 649 in the third. The +19 goal differential in the second period was the best for the Gladiators in any period this season. 

In the 2^nd period the Gladiators scored 2+ goals 24 times, having done so 20 times in the 3^rd and 9 times in the 1^st. They scored 3+ goals in the 2^nd period 6 times, having done so 6 times in the 3^rd and 3 times in the 1^st. 

There was no shortage of shorthanded goals for the Gladiators in the 2025-26 campaign. Mickey Burns and Alex Young both led the team with 2 SHG, while Nolan, Cipollone, Denomie, Burns, Scardina, O’Brien, Nychuk, Eisele, and Less each scored a SHG this season, bringing the total number of players to have scored a SHG for Atlanta to 10. The Gladiators scored 12 shorthanded goals this season, which was tied for the 2nd most in the ECHL (WOR, 12). Only Toledo (15) scored more shorthanded goals. Atlanta also scored two shorthanded goals on the same penalty kill twice this season, 11/1 vs SAV and 12/5 @ JAX.

Atlanta went 37-20-4 against the South Division and 7-3-0-1 against teams out of the division to qualify for the postseason for the 11^th time in franchise history and the first time since 2022. The Gladiators squared off against the South Carolina Stingrays in the opening round of the 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs. The Gladiators gave the Stingrays everything they had in a series that was gritty and tight – where all but two of the six games were decided by one goal. Atlanta’s 4-3 win in Game 2 marked the franchise's first playoff win in 13 years and Joey Cipollone’s double overtime winner in Game 5 to extend the series was a moment fans will never forget, highlighting the no quit attitude of the Gladiators. 

Ultimately, the Gladiators fell to the Stingrays in six games, bringing the season to its conclusion. The team received a standing ovation from Gladiators faithful as they saluted the fans before leaving the ice for the final time on the season, and while an incredible run has come to an end, it’s just the beginning for a new era of Gladiators hockey. 

Secure your seats for the 2026-27 season with season tickets by calling our sales hotline at 770-497-5100! Follow the Gladiators on Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube to stay up to date with all the latest news and events during the offseason. 

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